


Shadow of a Dream

by ForgottenStorm87



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Lemon, Prophecy, Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 06:21:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgottenStorm87/pseuds/ForgottenStorm87
Summary: A visitor from a dream turns out to be more than he seemed. A young woman's life is turned upside-down when forces beyond her comprehension call for her blood. Can she find out all she needs to know or will she be swept away forever into the shadow of a dream?
Relationships: Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker, Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy, Zechs Merquise/Lucrezia Noin
Comments: 15
Kudos: 25





	1. Shadows of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> [A.N.] Hello everyone! I promised I would rework my vampire fic, Shadow of a Dream and repost it when it was ready! Well, here it is! Special thanks to the one and only legend of 1xR Fanfiction herself: TheBlackRose for editing this and helping me keep going! Without further ado, the bigger, better version of Shadow of a Dream!

Prologue

Zechs pinned his former friend to the wall by his neck, rage boiling in his veins. His father’s home was gone, burned to the ground and his family with it. His father, step-mother and baby sister had all fallen victim to the inferno that devoured the house not hours earlier. 

Zechs and his father had been on a hunt. It was supposed to last only until the moon set, but the smell of smoke had called them back. His father ran into the blaze in a vain attempt to rescue his mate and youngest child. The fire caused the entire front of the house to crumble behind him, barring anyone else entrance. The ambulance bearing the bodies of the husband and wife had left a while ago. The search for his little sister was ongoing although little hope existed of finding anything of her tiny form.

“Have mercy, great wolf.” The man choked out. Zechs tightened his grip.

“Mercy? My family is gone; burned to death because of your carelessness. There will be no mercy.” His voice was a heartless growl.

“Th-they made me do it! They threatened me! They—“ The man was silenced as the grip around his throat tightened yet again.

“Who are ‘they’?” He growled again, eyes flashing with predatory fury. The man struggled to breathe and fought against the iron grip. Just as the man opened his mouth to speak again, a flash of light, so small and sudden that it blinded him, hit his captive. When he could see again, a hole had been burned through the man’s forehead silencing him forever. The blonde man cried out, threw the man’s limp body and punched the soot-blackened wall.

“Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!” He felt a hand on his back and sensed the comforting presence of his mate as she placed her forehead softly between his shoulder blades.

“Oh, Zechs.” She wrapped her arms around him.

“I failed.” He forced the words out of his throat and felt her shaking her head.

“No,” She stated and urged him to turn to her. He obliged, taking in her soot-covered face. Her soft Violet-blue eyes held unshed tears of her own bot for the loss of his family, and for him. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“Wasn’t it?” He almost growled again, bristling at his own guilt, but her soft answer soothed him.

“You had no way of knowing we would be betrayed.” She reached up, taking his face in her hands, gently. “You’re too hard on yourself.”

“Noin, I—“ his thought process would have to wait as one of the fireman called out from across the lawn.

“We found something!” 

Milliardo wasted no time making his way over, a sickening mix of hope and dread in the pit of his stomach. His heart froze when he saw a small bundle of dark soot-covered fabric that he didn’t recognize; it was virtually untouched by the flames and lying a safe distance from where the blaze had once been. 

He glanced from the bundle to his wife, afraid to be the one to open the bundle. He couldn’t do it, couldn’t stand to unearth what was likely the charred remains of a child. Stepping forward, his wife laid her hand over his and helped him pull back the fabric. It felt heavy, like a wool coat or jacket. Relief hit him like a wave of cold water when he saw the sleeping figure within. Curled up, safe and sound, was his baby sister. No soot, or sign that the fire had been near her could be found. He fell to his knees and scooped her up, cradled her to his chest and thanked whatever god was above.

His wife picked up the fabric and shook it out. It appeared to be a long, gentleman’s cloak from another time. “Is this...is this your father’s? Maybe he was able to--” 

“No, my father didn’t own anything like that.” 

“Then who…?” He shook his head. Whatever had saved her, mystical or divine, he didn’t care.

“It doesn’t matter. My sister is alive. That is all that matters for now.” HIs wife nodded and dropped the jacket to the ground. He put one arm around her and cradled the child with the other. The sooner they left this area the sooner he could put this behind him. Even as he did so, he couldn’t help but feel as though someone were watching them from the shadows. Perhaps the owner of the jacket had remained? He sniffed the air but found nothing but the smell of ash and death. As the beginnings of dawn crested on the horizon, they took the child and gratefully brought her home.


	2. Exhibition of the Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-two years later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason it is selectively indenting and not letting me do it myself. I apologize if that makes reading it difficult. I will fix it if and when I can. Enjoy!

Ch 1

Relena raised a hand to measure the distance and compare the angle of the portrait as the workman placed it for the exhibit. “Happiness” by Leonid Afremov would be an excellent addition to their modern impressionism exhibit celebrating the recently deceased painter. She had always loved his art; the life and emotion captured by oil paint on the canvas always moved her and spoke to her in a way that left her feeling warm and happy. He even made a winter’s day look warm and inviting. Being the museum’s youngest curator, it was her job to oversee the installation, set up and removal of all displays both permanent and temporary and she had been utterly thrilled when her bosses had approved the use of this particular artist’s paintings for the show.

“A little more to the left… a little more… perfect!” she called out, and the workman finished the placement. “Thank you very much gentlemen. Please feel free to take your break now and we can start on the next piece once you’ve rested.” The men thanked her and made their way to the cafeteria. She took a moment to review the placement of all the pieces and then pulled out her tablet to go over her tasks.

The list of things to do seemed to grow by the day. The pre-Columbian art exhibit needed reorganized, the Medieval art display had two new contributions donated by a mysterious wealthy benefactor. Those were the pieces she simply could not wait to get to. Supposedly they were taken from a famous castle in Transylvania many years ago and thought lost to time. Now, she would be one of the first art historians to see the pieces and help ensure their preservation. The prospect of it made her near giddy and was almost enough to fend off her exhaustion.

Brushing her bangs off of her forehead, she sighed and closed her eyes, allowing herself to lean momentarily against the cold marble of one of the museum’s pillars. It had been a long forty-eight hours of paperwork and phone calls. Complications in registrations and authorizations made for difficulty in acquiring the spaced and pieces necessary to fill so many areas. Since the museum was remodeled it had been her job to ensure that all of the displays and exhibits were back to the way they needed to be. She had to catalogue and count each and every piece with a detailed eye and a steady hand. It had been painstaking work but the results spoke for themselves.

“My, my, falling asleep on the job. Not very responsible, Miss curator.” 

Relena opened her eyes, startled by the voice of her old friend. Dorothy Catelonia made quite the statement in her purple designer pantsuit with matching heels and hoop earrings. The older blonde always looked overdressed for normal life as though she had stepped off the cover of a magazine. Technically she had. Dorothy was a model and a designer that Relena had met while both were students studying the arts at the local university. The two had started out as roommates; frienemies from day one. As time passed, however, the two formed a bond from shared experiences and late-night study sessions. Dorothy would set Relena up on dates and Relena would do all she could to get out of them. It was a strange and interesting dichotomy that hinged on the unhealthy but in the end, the two were stronger friends for it. 

Relena noticed the two hot beverages her friend held and nodded her thanks as Dorothy held it out to her. The steam tickled her nose as she inhaled the heavenly aroma of fresh spearmint and chamomile. Taking a small sip, she offered the other blonde a look of sheer gratitude.

“So, another day, another dusty display to arrange?” Dorothy’s voice held the joviality of mock-disdain. In truth, her love for the arts was just as strong as Relena’s.

“The head of the museum wants three exhibits ready to go by tomorrow. I’m afraid we’ve only just finished the one right before you arrived.” Dorothy ‘tsked’ at her and made her way over to admire the portraits.

“I like his command of color and form. It has an almost Monet sort of feel to it the way he uses paint splotches to form his vision.” Relena nodded and took another sip. “And,” The older girl continued, “speaking of feel, I have a friend of mine I would very much like you to meet. He’s tall, handsome, and loves art almost as much as you.” Relena groaned and turned to her friend, rolling her eyes emphatically.

“Not again, Dorothy,” Relena chided as she moved to pick up her tablet and stylus. “I am far too busy to even consider seeing anyone.

“You mean you don’t want to.” Dorothy flicked a finger across her forked eyebrow, a habit she seemed to have that never ceased to give Relena the creeps.

“Of course I would want to, but I truly do not have time. I’m married to my work right now; you know that.”

“Ah, yes, I have heard that excuse before, dearie.” Dorothy sat on top of an empty crate and crossed her legs. Relena noticed how one of the men returning from break early admired the model’s long legs and felt a pang of jealousy. “However, I wonder if it is the job, or a dream that keeps you from the dating scene.” Relena felt a blush heat her cheeks.

“No! Of course not! Honestly, Dotty, you can be such a pain, bringing something like that up here.”

“Oh? So you don’t want it well known about your tall, dark and handsome dream man?”

“Keep your voice down!” Relena felt her cheeks continue to burn. “I never should have told you.”

“Come, now, Relena. I quite enjoyed hearing your description of your enchanting encounters with your mystery man.” It was true enough. She had been having dreams about this man her whole life.

As a child, she felt she had a guardian angel keeping her safe wherever she went. When her parents were killed in that horrible fire, she knew it was he that had saved her, though her brother swore no one else had been there. That was the first of many times that she continued asking herself if it was just a dream; if HE was just a dream. She even day-dreamed about him at school on occasion which earned her more than her fair share of reproachful looks from her teachers. Still, the dreams remained.

Some nights, she could swear she felt his arms wrap around her as he buried his face into her hair, but only for a short while. These more intimate visits had only occurred after she had returned from college. The life insurance policy from her parents’ deaths provided her and her brother with more than enough to live off of and provided for her college education as well as her brother’s. The apartment she lived in was paid for using a small portion of her inheritance. It seemed as though her family came from old money though she didn’t know the details behind it. It allowed her to live comfortably, but she still had a job. She had found the apartment after returning from college located in a nice neighborhood downtown and fell in love with it.

Her four years at the university had been the only time he hadn’t made his presence known, a fact she once confided in Dorothy after they had reached the point of friendship where such conversations could take place. Indeed, it was as though he had disappeared from her life entirely. Once the dreams resumed, however, it made coming home feel even more right. He would still keep his visits almost painfully brief; gone before too long leaving her to feel more alone than ever. Most women would be freaked out or even call for some sort of night-time security, but not her. She wasn’t afraid of him. She knew that of all the things in the world to fear, her mysterious visitor would never be one of them.

Besides, what if it always was just a dream and he, a mere figment of her lonely imagination? She had never been a social child and often preferred to be by herself. It wasn’t too far-fetched to think she might have imagined him from the start. She might have begun to believe that to be true had it not been for the sudden change. The more physical the dreams began to be the more she doubted it ever being just her imagination. Usually, the dark figure only stayed at the window and watched her sleep. Occasionally, she would feel him run his hands through her hair or gently caress her cheek. She remembered blushing each time under the heat of his gaze: deep blue pools of midnight and mystery boring into her very soul.

“Hello, Earth to Relena.” Dorothy’s voice snapped her back into the present. She smiled sheepishly at her friend. “Honestly, I bring him up and you go into dreamland!”

“I’m sorry. I guess it must be the lack of sleep.” Relena shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Indeed.” Dorothy nodded with a small, sarcastic smile which earned her a glare from Relena. “Well, I have to be off now. I wanted to stop by and offer you the chance at that date but as you prefer dreams to flesh and blood, I suppose it just leaves more for me.” Dorothy smirked and winked at the men who were now all returning and staring at them. 

“I’ll talk to you later, Rel. I have a shoot in an hour! Say hello to your mystery man for me!” Dororthy waved as she walked away, leaving Relena blushing and speechless. Yes, the rest of the night was going to be long and tiresome but at least she had her tea. She took another sip, smiled, and went back to work.


	3. The Impossible Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Later that evening... [LEMON WARNING]

Ch. 2

She fumbled for her keys in the dark and cursed as she dropped them. She was so tired she could barely see straight but the work was done. The exhibbits had finally been put up as directed and every piece was tagged and documented. She had been surprised when her brother had made an appearance with a few of his fellow officers. Her elder brother, Milliardo, worked on the local police force. He was considerately older having been born of their father’s first marriage and had raised her from the age of three. 

_ “Hey, Dollface! How’s it going?”  _

_ Private Dan Richards hollered at her from the entrance, She looked up from her tablet to see her brother and his two fellow officers walk through the door at about a quarter ‘til closing time. They were in full uniform. Her brother, being a detective on the force occasionally got stuck training some new recruits and this week’s additions were Private Dan Richards and Chris Timmer. Chris was the taller of the two with light brown hair and blue eyes where Dan was shorter and had black hair with brown eyes and a dark complexion. Her brother watched, disapprovingly as Dan walked up, grabbed her hand and kissed it in a comical manner. _

_ “Hello, officer Dan.” She pulled her hand back and resisted the urge to wipe it on her skirt. _

_ “Hello, Relena.”  _

_ “Hello, Chris.” _

_ “Your brother says you’ve been working hard lately. It shows.” Relena looks down at hers appearance wondering if her long day at work had left her unkempt in any way. _

_ “Thank you?” He must have caught her confusion because his face paled and he stammered. _

_ “N-No! I didn’t mean it like that! I-I was meaning that the place looks good!” In spite of herself, Relena smiled and stifled a giggle. _

_ Her brother walked forward to join them, giving her a strong hug before stepping back. He smiled down at her, if the slight upturn of his lip could be seen as a smile. She returned his embrace for that moment and smiled back. _

_ “What are you doing here?” She asked, and his smile widened a little. _

_ “I was going to call you but I was in the area and decided I’d stop by and give you your reminder.” _

_ “My reminder?” She frowned up at him.  _

_ “Yes. With tomorrow being your grand opening I wanted to remind you that we’re throwing a party for you at the Broken Arrow Bar to celebrate.” She stopped and stared at him. “We rented the whole place for the night.” _

_ “I don’t know if I can, Milli. I’m swamped here at work. As it is, I’ll be lucky to finish what I have on my list for today.” Milli was her special name for her eder brother. On the force, he went by another name, a name he created to help keep the legacy of their family name from encroaching on his career. _

_ “You’ll manage and you’ll be there. You’re my sister after all.” He ruffled her hair as he did when she was a child, an act that earned him a glare. _

_ “Oh! Shouldn’t you get back to your job?” He smirked. _

_ “Yeah yeah. Just remember: tomorrow night.”  _

_ “I’ll try.” He gave her another hug and turned to leave, all but dragging Dan and Chris with him. As they walked out, she thought she heard Dan make a comment about her being a good mate someday. She shook it off. If he wanted to be friends, she supposed it could happen but it would take a lot of maturing before she would ever call him a mate.  _

She finally unlocked the door and stepped inside, managing to close and bolt it before kicking off her heels. Heels were, in her opinion, an unnecessary and torturous form of footwear but wear them she did. It came with the whole “business and seriousness” motif of her profession. Still, as she pulled off the stockings and let her bare feet sink into the plushness of the carpet, she let out a sigh. Too tired to do much else, she discarded her suit jacket, skirt, blouse and bra and slipped into her baby blue flannel pajama bottoms with the matching tank top. She always loved the color blue and the prominence of the color in her home attested to that fact.

Bellowing out a very unladylike yawn, she crawled under the covers of her bed and laid down, reaching to ensure her alarm was set before letting her heavy head fall to the pillow. At long last, she was home, in bed, and allowed her eyes to close for some much needed sleep.

A chill ran up and down her spine and she forced her eyes open once more. A cold breeze came through her now open window as a dark shadow made his presence known. He was here. She smiled and let out a sigh, she loved this dream. She allowed herself to feel his presence as she had so many times before…

Something was different. She felt his presence before her window ever opened. Relena opened her eyes and looked to the window as she knew she had many times before. She gasped when she saw him there; this time not as the mysterious shadow that haunted her dreams. This night, the moon lither his features in sharp detail: a chiseled, handsome face topped by a mess of unruly, dark-brown hair and hypnotizing blue eyes that seemed to almost glow. He was tall, though it was hard to tell how much so from her place on her bed. He wore old-fashioned breeches, dark as the night and a deep blue silk shirt unbuttoned halfway down. His pale and muscular but not bulky by any means. His masculine beauty put Mcihelangelo’s ‘David’ to shame. 

He neared the bed, slowly, almost cautiously with an otherworldly grace that made her skin tingle. She blinked, and as if by magic, he was suddenly there, beside her, reaching out one of his calloused hands to gently caress her cheek and tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. He leaned closer, a movement that made time seem to stand still before she felt his breath on her skin.

“Relena…” she heard him speak her name like a sweet, reverent prayer.

“Heero…” she didn’t know how she knew his name. For the life of her she couldn’t remember him ever telling her. Still, it came to her as if she’d always known it.

“It’s time.” His voice was a low rumble. 

_ ‘Time for what?’ _ she found herself thinking before she felt it: his lips, warm and silky and soft against her throat… His tongue massaging that spot where her neck met her collar bone. She arched her neck instinctively allowing further access to his apparent target.

“You’re mine.” She heard him hiss with a possessiveness that made her almost melt. Her mind swam as she tried in vain to make sense of her current situation, but the fog that had formed in her mind only thickened as his touch continued.

Then, she felt IT: a sharp sting of pain! The needle-like point of a knife puncturing the skin of her neck. She tried to cry out, but she couldn’t form any words! She tried to breathe, but heard herself gurgle as if she was drowning….

The ice-cold pain turned into a soothing warmth, invading and saturating her body. She felt, so light and free and warm and sexy all at the same time. Relena heard a breathy moan of desire and soon realized it was her own. It startled her and she felt blood rush to her cheeks as rational thought tried to return. She tried to pull away and then realized...she didn’t want to.His hands found the tie to her pajama pants. When had she lost her shirt?

She no longer cared. She felt his hands on her breasts, kneading them tenderly; something pinched one of her nipples, sending thrills through her body and eliciting a groan deep from the back of her throat. His hands moved down to her waist, her underwear long gone, and she felt his body move over hers. She never felt his mouth leave her neck but his eyes locked with hers, searching for something; consent maybe? She nodded, helplessly lost in the euphoria of his touch. She felt something else penetrate her, this time in her most intimate of places. She gasped and winced as pain shot through her from the invasion before she slipped away into pure pleasure. She felt him inside her, moving slowly at first, filling her completely. It felt as though she was made special just for him. Finally, his lips were on hers and she could taste the coppery sweetness of blood: her blood.

She knew what he was. She thought she might have always known but she didn’t care. She heard herself call out his name as he whispered hers like a hushed secret, nibbling her ear. She reached for him, running her hands up and down his perfect body, begging him to take her harder, faster. He continued to pound into her with almost a predatory need and she heard him growl. She felt the need for him consume her very being; her flesh calling for more of him, begging to be one with him. He thrust harder, lifting her up off the bed into an almost seated position allowing him deeper entrance and she welcomed him. He was right: she was his. She always had been and she knew she always would be.

Finally, she heard him repeating her name, a continuous prayer that she joined with his own name as he moved faster and faster, the pace of his thrusts increasing. It happened so fast yet seemed to last forever, the warmth that sprang from her inside, running though her body with toe-curling pleasure. She heard her name tear past his lips once more as she felt him reach his own climax, crushing her to him as if she’d disappear if he let go.

She was his and he was hers and-while she didn’t exactly know what had happened or why-she knew that this would be the first night of many where their unspoken vows of devotion and belonging would be consummated and shared. Because, she thought, what harm could there be in wishing for the reoccurrence of such a dream?


	4. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a night of what she thought was a dream our heroin wakes up in strange surroundings...

Chapter 3

Relena woke with a sleepy yawn, stretching leisurely after what had been the most wonderful night sleep. The dream had been so vivid; so heated and realistic. Her hand reached up to the spot on her neck where his fangs had penetrated her pallid skin. As she suspected, she felt no indication of any harm or intrusion on her neck and sighed in resignation. The dream had been intense but reality called her name. She had to be at work by eight and no amount of dreaming could change the fact that she had bills to pay. 

Opening her eyes, she instantly knew something was wrong. She kept it dark in her room when she slept, not so much as a nightlight, but this darkness was different. It was then that she smelled it; his scent. She felt beneath her and realized the sheets she laid on were not her standard cotton ones, but rather a rich silk. She gasped and sat up, her eyes darting around the room desperately trying to make sense of her current situation.

Had she been abducted?

Her heart rate quickened as she fought a rush of panic. How had she gotten here? She felt down her sides and front, reaffirming the presence of her pajamas. What had happened last night?! She tried to remember the exact events in detail. Had she gone somewhere other than home? Try as she might, she couldn’t recall--

“Oh,” she said out loud as a vague memory of her dream - making love with her mysterious ‘guardian’ started to play out in her mind. 

_She felt him inside her, moving slowly at first, filling her completely. His lips met hers and she could taste the coppery sweetness of blood: her blood._

“But it was a dream…”

Gathering her courage, she pushed herself out of the covers and off the side of the bed to try and find a light-source. Her bare feet touched the softest carpet she’d ever felt as she carefully felt her way around the darkness. Finding the light switch on the wall by the door, she braced herself.

The light chased away the darkness, revealing a rather lavish bedroom of baroque design. The four-poster bed she’d been lying on was covered in dark blue sheets with a sky blue brocade of swirls and flowers and a matching comforter. The dark wood furnishings looked as antique as they did pristine. The carpet was a soft cream color matching the tone of the walls leading the eyes to trim which matched the dark color of the bed-set. The only window in the room was adorned by curtains as dark-blue as the trim and yet was so thick that any daylight that tried to seep through would be suffocated by the intensity of the hue.

“Okay, Relena. You can’t panic. You have to find a way out of here.” Deciding that staying put would not get her home any faster she made her way over to the door. She took a deep breath: “You can do this.”

She reached out to the doorknob and clutched it tight, holding her breath. It might be locked. She said a mental prayer that it wouldn’t be and finally steeled her nerve enough to give it a good turn. To her delight, the knob turned with only the faintest of noises and the door pushed open giving a soft creak. The hallway was solid oak polished to perfection with a long, Middle Eastern runner in the middle. Making her way down the hall as silently as possible, hoping beyond hope that whoever her captor was would fail to notice her slipping through the spacious halls.

She had to find a way out. She reached the stairs: large, wooden and as polished as the floors but intricately carved with designs she could barely see in the dim lights that she supposed the servants used to get around - if there were any servants. The further she traveled through the mysterious mansion, the more she began to get a feel for her surroundings. A small light down one of the lower corridors caught her attention. She vaguely heard voices coming from behind the partially opened door. She couldn’t risk getting caught. 

Relena froze and glanced around frantically, feeling her heart racing against her chest as though it may jump clean out. Her mouth suddenly was very dry and she nervously licked her lips as she bolted to her right, hoping there was a back door she could run through only to find another of the men, this one tall, with long bangs obscuring one side of his face. His dark, emerald eyes stared at her impassively.

“Woman,” said the Asian man coldly. “You will come with us.” She found no words but shook her head vehemently. She did not see them move, but they closed the distance between them and each grabbed her arms. They were surprisingly gentle as they dragged her back to the room where she had heard them talking. As they pulled her in, she felt all eyes on her, but one pair in particular burned into her consciousness.

“Welcome, m’lady!” This greeting came from a jovial looking man with violet eyes and a long chestnut braid. Relena saw the fifth man, blonde with soft blue eyes offer her a kind smile. And then, there was him. Cool, dark blue eyes staring at her intently, dark hair as unruly and untamed as always.

“I’m Duo, and this is Quatre, and you’ve just met Trowa and Wufei, and of course you already met our king.”

“King?” She uttered, eyes widening.

“Heero Yuy, King of the North American Vampire Bund.” The one called Wufei said, resentment in his voice though whether it was meant for her or for his king she had no way of knowing.

“Vampire…” She heard herself utter. Her hand involuntarily went to her neck where he had bitten her. It hadn’t been a dream. He really had visited her; bitten her and… made love to her. She felt dizzy as a whole host of emotions hit her at once. She was afraid. These weren’t men, they were vampires: blood-thirsty predators. And she, a helpless human, now seemed to be trapped in their home at their mercy. Would she ever see her brother again? Her friends? What about her job? Her eyes shifted frantically to each man, wondering which one was the most likely to attempt to make a meal of her. If her heart hadn’t already been racing, now it was in hyper-drive. She felt a pull on her mind come out of nowhere like a soothing hand caressing away at her nerves. It came so sudden and felt so strong. It was him.

“You needn’t worry. You are safe here.” These words came from Heero, the one she had trusted, the one she had dreamed of, the one that had… She felt her panic slowly giving way to another emotion: rage. As she looked at his seemingly impassive face, she felt her embarrassment turn into indignation and then, finally, to anger. Before she even knew what happened, she had crossed the distance between them and smacked her hand across his face. It felt like hitting a concrete wall, but the satisfaction of the sound of her flesh hitting his fueled her flames of defiance. She watched as the four men bristled at her action, the Asian one making a move to reach for his sword before Heero held up a hand to still them.

“How dare you.” She hissed. “I demand you return me home immediately!”

“I cannot do that.” Heero uttered, his voice still as sultry as ever, his eyes meeting hers. She refused to be distracted by him.

“You can, and you will! This is kidnapping!” a look formed on his features: one of amusement. He found her indignation amusing! She felt tears of anger, fear and frustration pick her eyes and threaten to spill.

“Not exactly.”

“Oh? And why not?” She knew it would look quite humorous to anyone who saw her: a five foot four inch female glaring up at a nearly six foot two male. Still, she fought the urge to stand on her toes to further her point.

“Because,” He began, his eyes pooling with some indiscernible emotion. “You belong to me. You always have.” She felt her breath catch in her throat at his words. “You know this to be true.” She paused and after what seemed like a small eternity, she looked away, anger turning from a flame to smoldering embers in her chest.

“You can’t keep me here. I will be leaving as soon as the sun comes up.” That did it. with those words, the first few tears rebelliously slide down her cheeks. Not giving him a chance to respond, she made her way back up to the room she awoke in, throwing herself down onto the bed in anger. Anger at him for taking her. Anger with herself for letting him. But-most of all-anger at the whole situation because he had been right. She did belong to him; she just had no idea why and it frightened her..

* * *

Heero felt her grief even as the sting from her slap faded. He could sense everything she was feeling: anger, indignation, sadness… and fear. It was almost crippling. When he saw the tears finally slide down her cheeks he had found himself wanting to close the distance between them and wipe them away, but she had left too soon. Why did it affect him so? Why did her pain hurt him?

“Well, that went well” Duo uttered, crossing his arms.

“Aren’t you going to go after her?” Quatre inquired. Heero merely grunted and turned to his desk to start looking over some papers. “Heero… she’s scared… she has to be confused. You owe it to her to try and make this right.” He felt the weight of his friend’s words hit him hard. Had he done the right thing? It wasn’t as if he’d rushed into this. He had known for many years she was the one he needed; the one they all needed. He had made the only decision he could that would benefit all of them the most, including her.

“Heero… did you really need to bring her here?”

“Yes.” He answered simply.

“Why?” Wufei grumbled. “In the name of the great Nataku, why?”

“She belongs here.”

“How does a mortal belong among the likes of us? She will be easy pickings for any of our blood-thirsty bund-mates that want a midnight snack.”

“If they dare touch her, I will kill them where they stand.”

“What makes her so special?” Wufei prodded.

“She is the one I have chosen. I have bound her to me.”

“You what?” Duo all but yelled.

“Heero, you didn’t…?” Quatre stared at him a moment. 

Heero ignored the looks of disbelief he knew undoubtedly surrounded him. He ignored the sound of their protests, his hand caressing his cheek where her hand had struck him. He did not blame his old friends for being worried. Many of them had lived through the darkest parts of history where even the best of intentions had led to death and disaster. Heero knew each one of their stories. He knew where each of them had come from and had even been there when a few of them had been acquired by his former master. He understood why they feared as they did and what exactly he risked by making his decision. He’d done what was best; he had no doubts about that. The only question that remained now, however, was whether or not she would wish to finish what he’d started before it was too late.

Their words haunted him, though. Had he done the right thing? He was King. He could do as he pleased. By taking her as his it ensured that anyone who dared harm her would start an interspecies war. Still, her grief called out to him through the dark of the evening. He found himself going to her room where her sobs were the only sound. She looked so small and fragile curled up on the bed in a fetal position. Through their connection he could feel her worry almost choking on the level of sadness he found.

He had done this. He had made her cry. For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to reach out; to sooth away her tears and reassure her that in time she would see what he did was for the best… but he couldn’t. In that moment, even he wasn’t sure that that was the truth. Instead, he snuck back out of her room and closed the door behind him. He would not waver; Could not. She needed to be protected at all costs, even if it meant her hating him. He could handle her hate. People hating him was something he was all too familiar with. Steeling his resolve, he made his way back down the hall, leaving her sobs to echo in the back of his mind.


	5. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of her time at the manor...

Ch 4

The second night, Relena felt a little more in control of her emotions as she planned out her next course of action. She wandered around the mansion trying to find…something. A way out? A place to hide? It hardly seemed possible given her current predicament. She was basically being held against her will by supernatural beings she once knew for a fact had to be little more than fictional characters romanticized by pop-culture. Now, here she was, barefoot in her pajamas trying to make sense of everything that had happened. He was a vampire? Last night had been real? Then every night he’d appeared to her had to have been real too, right? Why her of all people? And why now? 

What about her friends and family? Dorothy would be scared for her and her brother and Lucretia would be beside themselves with worry. It wouldn’t take him long before he had the whole city searching for her. It helped that he was high-ranking on the force. Surely someone would figure out who had taken her and then it would be only a matter of time before every officer in the city would be breaking down their door.

She stopped and looked around finding more dark corridors and giant wooden doors. Even in the darkness she could tell she was in a very elaborate and expensive house. She passed potted plants of species she’d seen and some she hadn’t as well as portraits and paintings that would have made any art-historian die of sheer giddiness. Since she was one of those art-historians, her instinct was to examine every piece to find out exactly when it was made, who made it, and what materials were used. She reached out unconsciously to touch the delicately carved wood of the grand hall banister and ran her fingers across the designs. Her degree in art history made it impossible for her to ignore such craftsmanship. If only the light in the room had been brighter… She paused.

There was no light. She had previously been making her way through the endless shroud of darkness, feeling her way around. When had she gained the ability to see? She suddenly felt his presence behind her. What had once been a welcome feeling now brought only resentment.

“I awoke the ability within you.” Her captor’s voice sent a soothing chill through her body, but as she felt the fog lifting from her mind from the previous night, she felt her anger rise at what she could only deem as his betrayal. She stared at him until his eyes flicked to that spot on her neck. She reached up a hand to once more feel the smooth skin under her fingertips.

“What… who…?” There were too many questions. She wanted to scream and yell and berate him for his actions but the words would not come. She felt her heart racing again as the fear from earlier threatened to overtake her. She was still in a den of predators… and he was their king.

“I am what you heard: a vampire king.” He walked closer and she seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move. “I have chosen you to be my queen…”

“And if I refuse?” She glared at him, her knees feeling weaker by the second as their proximity closed. Why did she ache to be closer? She should want to be as far away from her captor as possible… shouldn’t she? He paused, mere steps away from her but she could feel the intensity in his eyes.

“You won’t.”

“You seem very sure of yourself.” He smirked in response and reached out, running his fingers through her hair.

“My Relena…” he almost purred this and she felt her knees going weak. “Do you really believe you want to resist? Even now I feel the doubt in your mind. Your every heartbeat gives you away.” She felt his words in her very soul like a gentle caress, but mentally shook herself.

“I WILL resist! I have to! I have a life, a career! Friends, family! They must be so worried! They’ll look for me! I won’t stay here where I am virtually a prisoner! You have no right to keep me here!”

“Don’t I?” His eyes hardened as they locked with hers. “You gave me your consent last night, remember?” visions of their activities flashed through her mind making her cheeks burn and her temper flare in embarrassment.

“You tricked me! I thought it was a dream! I would never agree to this! Am I going to become like you? Have you taken away my humanity as well as my freedom?” That thought brought back her fear in full swing. A glimpse of what might be sympathy flashed through his eyes for the briefest of seconds before he became impassive once again.

“No. You will stay as you are until it is your wish to be made otherwise.” He paused as if in thought, then continued. “What’s done is done, however. I _have_ bonded you to me.” 

Bonded? What did that mean? How could he be so cold? His aloof attitude toward the whole situation made her ire rise to its boiling point.She straightened her posture, her eyes glaring defiantly back at him. 

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. I’m not from whatever horror movie you crawled out of. However, you do not  own  me, and if it is the last thing I do, I will be free of this place and of you. I promise you that!” Even as the words left her mouth, however, she could not truly put her heart into them. Still, if given the choice between satiating her curiosity or keeping her free will, the choice was clear. She had to escape. She just had no idea how.

*

“You’ve done some pretty reckless stuff in the past, buddy boy, but this takes the cake.”

“I did not ask for your opinion, Duo.”

The braided man had been his friend for over a century now. Heero had acquired him as a member of his bund in America during the Civil War. He had been fighting to his last breath to bring a letter to his superior despite the mortal wounds that had been inflicted on him. In a moment of weakness, Heero had agreed to turn the man to allow him to finish his mission. Duo had been willing to sacrifice his humanity to save the lives of countless others. Heero had admired that sense of honor and rewarded it the only way he could. Since then, Duo had tried his best to crack open Heero’s anti-social shell and be his friend. Only through sheer persistence had it worked.

“No, but I’m going to give it anyway. What do you really know about this girl? I mean, she’s pretty, I’ll give you that, but so are many of our females.”

“And you would know all about our many females.” Duo feigned offense. Before he had met Hilde he had been quite a letch and a ladies’ man. He and Trowa seemed to have a gift with the fairer sex. For the first time in his life, Heero found himself beginning to wish for similar success. Relena made no sense to him and neither did the way she made him feel. It was frustrating and yet....

“Well, no denying I like a little sugar in my tea if you catch my drift.” He flashed a roguish smile. “All kidding aside, this could be bad, man. You do realize who she is, right?” Heero glared at him.

“Of course I do. It was I who was entrusted to protect her.” Heero poured himself some wine. Liquor seemed to be the only thing vampires could enjoy from their mortal pasts. Full-blooded vampires seemed to have no problem with the robust drinks.

“Yeah, sure, but nowhere in that description did it say you had to make her yours.”

“I have my reasons.”

“Okay, but did you stop to think of how this will affect your people? Your friends. Not to mention the girl?”

“All you need concern yourself with is making her feel welcome. See that the staff and our brethren treat her with the utmost kindness. I want her to want to stay.”

“So you want us to befriend the girl you seduced and abducted? Just so she’ll want you again?” He crossed his arms in annoyance. “You do realize she has a mind of her own.”

“For now.”

“Wow. Seriously?” Duo glared at him in disbelief but Heero hardly cared. His reasons were sound even if his friends did not see it so. “Very well, your royal jerkness. I’ll make sure everyone plays nicely with your new little ‘toy’,” 

Heero growled at Duo’s impertinence and the younger vampire wasted no time in leaving the room. Duo was not the only one who knew. He had not been there long ago when Heero was bestowed with the task at hand but had found out about it on his own and pestered his king about it. Heero had readily taken on the honor of the assignment. Protecting her was his mission and the easiest way to do so was to keep her with him. It didn’t matter that she was angry. The end would justify the means. Given time, she would come to understand. 

Her sobs echoed in his mind once more. The hatred, the panic, the fear: all of her emotions came back to him. Why did her fear of him wound him so? He swirled the burgundy libation around in his glass for a moment before placing it back on the table. He suddenly had no desire for it or any other substance. The one thing he wanted most he couldn’t have without forcing his will and even that wouldn’t be effective much longer. He sighed. Everything had gone horribly wrong so very quickly.


	6. Where is She?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile...

Ch 5

Milliardo Peacecraft, or rather, Zechs Merquise (as he was better known) angrily paced the office of the Police Commissioner who currently sat at his desk shuffling through paperwork. It infuriated him how calm his boss was given the circumstances. His little sister was missing and all the chief could do was continue to ignore his frustration.

“For God’s sake, Zechs, stop pacing.”

“She’s been taken, Treize! Why won’t you do anything?”

“There was no evidence of forced entry or resistance. There was no blood or trace of any form of physical struggle. I see no reason to be alarmed.”

“Her purse with all of her money, cards and personal Identification, cell phone, and keys were all left behind. Her dishes were left dirty in the sink, her clothes from the previous day on the floor and her outfit for the next day had been laid out. My sister would never leave her apartment in such a state.” Treize looked up at him, his cool violet eyes full of patience.

“Your concern is understandable, but we simply do not have enough proof to go off of. If you hear nothing from her in the next forty-eight hours, I promise we will begin some sort of further investigation.” He paused and Zechs felt himself being studied. There was something more to Treize’s reluctance, but it eluded him. He all but growled in frustration.

“If my sister is harmed in any way because you refuse to act, I promise you will regret it.” With those words, he left the office and went straight to his desk where his wife and partner waited for him. If it hadn’t been for her support he would have gone off half-cocked on a personal investigation that might have ended in him having to hand in his shield and firearm.

He growled and punched his desk, staring at the picture taken long ago of his family before the fire. The idea that his little sister was lost somewhere in the hands of god only knows who made his blood boil. He had failed again.

“No luck?” 

Lucretzia Noin Peacecraft, or Noin as he called her, had been beside herself when they had discovered his sister missing. After the death of their parents, he and Noin became Relena’s legal guardians. His wife had been a mother to his sister watching her change and grow through every phase of life from Relena’s first loose tooth to her last day of high school. Her dark eyes, reddened from tears and lined with the proof of exhaustion flashed with sympathy and unspoke worry. She was the one person who could be around him safely when he was in this sort of mood. Anyone else would be in imminent danger of having their heads bitten off… literally. Instead, she was the peaceful presence he needed to calm his inner storm and keep him from doing something irreparably rash.

“No.” He almost growled again. “That son of a…” He paused and took a deep breath. “Treize seems to think there isn’t enough evidence at the moment to warrant an investigation.”

“I’m sorry.” He heard the unshed tears in those words and it fueled his anger. He hated it when his love was hurting.

“Not as sorry as he will be if—“

“Zechs, Relena is a smart girl. She’s tough and resourceful like her brother. She’ll be fine.” He heard the hope in her voice, but felt the worry they masked, as she came up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders, leaning her head into her back. Her words did little to comfort him but the simple skin on skin contact helped calm his inner beast. It was just like her to push her own feelings of grief aside for him. It had always been that way. Even now as he felt through their shared bond her own grief and worry threatening to overtake her, she thought of him. He turned around and embraced her.

“I’m sorry. I know you’re worried too.”

“I am. Relena is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a daughter… or ever will.” Unshed tears choked her words and he felt the sting of those thoughts like a slap in the face. It was true that female werewolves could not bear children. The forced transformation of the moon’s cycle placed too much stress on the body, killing the unborn baby and endangering the life of the mother. Relena had been their child for all intents and purposes and the idea of their baby being in the hands of someone who might hurt her drove them both crazy.

“If I had just been there more… If I had just kept a tighter ring of security around her then--”

“Stop blaming yourself. This is not your fault. You have been a wonderful brother! We have done all that we could to prepare Relena for the troubles of this world. She is a smart woman. I have to believe that we will find her… that we will get her home safe. I have to, and so do you.” 

“Noin…” He turned to her and kissed her softly, borrowing from the strength she never failed to offer. She was right. Together, they would find her. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers and continued to allow her to comfort him and return the comfort given. “I have some calls to make. We will bring her back.”

“I know.” She smiled and walked to the door, leaving him to his work.

He had sworn on his father’s grave he’d take care of his sister no matter what and yet she had disappeared; stolen without so much as a sign of how or who. He had to find her. Too much was at stake. He picked up the phone and dialed one of his many questionable contacts. Being a cop came with some unpleasant aspects like criminal informants and undercover jobs in sketchy areas. Thankfully, he had just enough of both to increase his chances of receiving answers.

“Howard, It’s Wind. I need some information.”

* * *

“Mister Treize, are you certain denying him assistance is in the department’s best interest?” A silken voice all but purred from the corner of the room. He looked up to see his secretary and long-time confidant leaning against the door.

“The whereabouts of the young Miss Peacecraft do not truly concern us.”

“You do realize if she has fallen into the wrong hands it might prove catastrophic?”

“Lady,” he began, “I am well-aware of the possible outcomes of this situation, however, it is my duty to keep such possible search results from appearing in the human database.”

As the Commissioner, he had to keep his subordinates in line. As an ancient immortal warlock, he really had no loyalty to any particular race and-personally-a three-way pull for power would be thrilling to watch. However, as an officer of the peace, he had taken an oath to protect and serve and Treize Khushrenada was, if nothing else, a man of honor. In the very least, the fighting spirit of the humans was far too admirable to allow to be fully dominated. He would help his Moon-bound allies to keep the balance. Humanity’s existence made his own eternal one a little less dull.

The woman he so affectionately called ‘Lady’ made her way gracefully to his desk and slid into his lap, curling her fingers in his chestnut colored hair.

“Would you like me to contact the usual channels then? The girl must be found.” He smirked and closed his eyes as she massaged his scalp with her nails. He moaned and reached up to hold her hips, centering her to rest over his. As if reading his mind, she began to slowly gyrate on him.

“Later.” He leaned forward and licked up her neck, eliciting a low, soft moan from his lover. Yes, he would look into the case of his friend’s missing sister. She would be found. She had to be one way or another. What followed, however, would be far less enjoyable than the activity his Lady currently had placed on his agenda. He released a moan as he let his baser instincts drive him, temporarily forgetting everything but the feel of her warmth against him.

* * *

Relena couldn’t get his eyes out of her mind. The deep confusing pools of liquid night had seemed so harsh and yet, she’d never felt safer. The level of pain she felt from his betrayal of her trust, however, hurt more than she’d dare admit. She knew him. He had been with her as long as she could remember; a gentle presence in a confusing world and in the period of one night he had gone from someone she’d trusted implicitly to someone she loathed. He had stolen her away from everything she’d known. He seduced her, lured her in and bound her to him without her consent…

Okay, so it wasn’t completely without consent, but taking such actions while omitting the important details about forced bonds and blood-sucking immortality was a bit of a deal breaker. She had thought she’d been dreaming, but he had ravaged her; body and soul and she had only been half-aware of what his true intentions had been.

It had been two weeks now, since her abduction and every day she found her anger abating more and more. she still had next to no knowledge of the true extent of her situation. She wanted to ask him so many questions; questions she deserved answers to, but he seemed to be avoiding her. Not that she could blame him. She hadn’t exactly been openly receptive of his presence. It was all so confusing! She was angry with him, but she missed him. She knew she should hate him, but by all accounts she had-in fact-wanted to be with him! Now, she was locked away in a mansion in the middle of God knows where with vampires and strangers who knew more about her current situation than she did. Not that she’d been mistreated: quite the contrary. Everyone had treated her with kindness and respect.

Upon waking in the morning, she always found designer clothes in her size and style. A hot breakfast (the kind that she would fix for herself) had been delivered to her room by the time she’d finished her shower. The few servants she’d seen had smiled kindly at her; perhaps out of pity or perhaps because they were ordered to. Indeed, she had been provided everything she’d needed. He even had apparently had someone go to her apartment at some point to grab her soaps and personal items to add to her comfort. However, his gifts did little to change the matter at hand: she was now bound to the King of Vampires. She needed to know what that truly meant.

She had been wanting to speak with him and ask him every question that had been burning in her mind but she could never find him to ask. When messages absolutely needed to be passed, he usually sent one of what she could assume was his advisers to inform her of the necessary details. Wufei, the distinctly Asian man kept his words to a minimum and would get straight to the point before walking away. Today, however, the knock on the door revealed the one with the long brown braid. She had seen men with many different hair styles in her line of work and indeed throughout her years of schooling. However, the nearly yard-long complex braid was new to her. It was difficult for her to try and pin-point what era he was from.

“Hey, princess!” He gave her a cheeky smile, his lavender eyes twinkling. “I hope you’re having a good experience here.” She almost rolled her eyes.

“You’re Duo, correct?.” She stated.

“The one and only! I may run and I may hide but I never tell a lie! That's me in a nutshell.” He grinned at her and she found herself smiling back for the first time since she had been brought there.

“Really?” she inquired, an idea forming. “You never tell a lie?” Duo seemed to catch on to her train of thought because his joviality faltered a little.

“Well, not if i can help it.” He amended his earlier statement. 

“I see.” She studied him carefully. From what little she knew so far about the four other vampires that had visited her, Duo seemed to be Heero’s closest friend. “If I were to ask you to give Heero a message for me, would you?”

“A message?” He inquired, eyes lighting up with curiosity. She nodded.

“I wish to speak with him whenever possible. I feel a bit foolish about this whole situation and I think it’s time we worked something out, don’t you?”

“Does this mean you’re not mad anymore?” Duo asked, hope in every word. Relena shook her head slowly.

“No,” She began, “I am still angry with him for what he did. It was wrong, but I am willing to listen and to talk this out with him calmly. He deserves a proper chance to explain himself.”

“Well, in that case, of course I’ll tell him! I know he has been wanting to talk for quite sometime. He’s just so stubborn and prideful.” 

_ ‘A fault we both share, apparently.’  _ She thought, wryly.

“Thank you, Duo.” 

“Sure thing!’ He started to leave, but stopped at the doorway and turned back to look at her. “I know Heero can come across as cold and unfeeling, but he really does care about you. I can tell.” Relena considered his words for a moment. She did not yet know how trustworthy this man was but she hoped, more earnestly that she should, that what he said was true.

“I will keep that in mind.” He smiled at her again and closed the door behind him, leaving her to ponder the extent of the truth of his words.

  
  



	7. Confrontation and Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relena is tired of waiting to hear from him and takes matters into her own hands and makes some new friends

Relena groaned in frustration and kicked the covers off of her as she all but jumped off of the bed and ran into her private bathroom. It had been an entire week since she’d left her message with Duo and nearly a month since she’d been taken to the manor and still not a word from him! To make matters worse, every night since her abduction she had been plagued in her dreams by the memory of that night. Each time she found herself begging for his touch and each time she awoke with his name on her lips. She splashed cold water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes went to the place on her neck where she knew his fangs had penetrated. No marks were visible but the skin still tingled as though it just happened. What annoyed her most was the fact that, in spite of her anger, she truly did long for a recurrence of that night.

He, however, was still avoiding her. She wondered, briefly, if the dreams and fantasies were being placed in her mind by their newly forged connection. Even though he’d been nowhere near her, she felt their bond growing stronger, pulling her toward him with an almost animalistic magnetism. She refused to be coerced into giving in! He had deceived her. He had manipulated her into letting him into her mind, her bed… and her heart. Being with him made her feel safe; it felt right...

She mentally shook herself and decided to take a much needed shower and get dressed. Right or wrong, she would not be treated as a hostage or a love-slave. If anything, she wanted to know exactly where she stood with him and figure out where exactly to go from there. She chose to pull her hair into a simple, high ponytail brushing her bangs to the side. Though they had brought her clothes from her apartment, she decided to forgo any jewelry in favor of a pair of mid-rise, streamline dark blue jeans and a baby blue turtleneck. It was a bit drafty in the manor, most likely due to her host being technically not of this world so heating it was probably not a priority. She completed the ensemble with charcoal knee-high boots.

She needed answers and he was indirectly refusing to provide them. If he wanted to continue to do so, then she would make avoiding her as difficult as possible. For the first time since her imprisonment, she intended to leave her room and made full use of the run of the mansion that she had been freely given. She would do all the research she could on her own and later, when she thought he would be available, she would find him herself.

She followed the long halls down to where she knew the library was with every intention of combing through the vast selections of books. Research was something she was greatly familiar with and-incidentally-enjoyed. Her hunger for knowledge had always puzzled and her brother and his wife. She was, perhaps, the only person they knew that enjoyed research papers and projects. Thoughts of her surrogate parents caused a pang of loneliness that she tried to force down. She knew they were doing all that they could to find her. In the meantime, she had to do what she could to figure things out on her own.

As she entered the large room, she heard rather embarrassing noises coming from behind one of the shelves. The playful giggles and unmistakable sound of kissing made her cheeks heat as she debated turning around. 

“Hilde, Babe… come on!” It was Duo. She felt her ire rise. Had he even given her message to Heero? And now, here he was fooling around in a place of study. She felt like she was back in college all over again. Deciding to find out exactly if the braided man had done as she’d asked, she stepped forward and cleared her throat. “Oh, shit!” Duo muttered and the girl that was with him said a few soft things Relena could not make out. Judging by her tone, however, she was mortified. He stepped out from behind the shelves, still fixing his shirt, his companion, still adjusting her own appearance, was blushing profusely. She was pretty with short dark hair and light blue-grey eyes.

“Princess!” He began with a huge grin. “Fancy running into you here!” 

“Uh, you must be Miss Relena. I’m Hilde: Duo’s… girlfriend.” The girl had taken a moment to find the right word and Relena wondered, briefly, what the true nature of their relationship was given her own predicament. In spite of everything, the kindness in this woman’s eyes lightened her mood and she smiled at Hilde.

“It’s nice to meet you, but please just call me Relena.” Hilde returned her smile, her soft eyes lighting with a friendly glow.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around to greet you yet. I don’t really have a reason except you didn’t seem like you wanted to be bothered and I didn’t want to upset you.” Relena knew she hadn’t been exactly warm toward the staff. She had been kind enough, and thankful for their services but had not gone out of her way to converse with any of them. She felt a bit guilty for her behavior.

“No, I’m sorry. I’m afraid that my behavior has been very unbecoming when everyone here has only been so kind and understanding to me.”

“Well, you have been through a lot… I mean, given your situation and all. I don’t know how I’d feel either.” Hilde’s response was full of genuine sympathy. It made Relena realize just how lonely she had been and the knowledge that it was mostly her own doing made it worse.

“It’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have been so cold. I really am pleased to meet you HIlde and I hope that maybe we can become friends during my time here.” The other girl’s eyes lit up.

“Definitely.” With another smile, she turned her attention to Duo who, looking sheepish, seemed to want to avoid her notice.

“I was wondering if you gave your King my message, Duo.” he looked at his feet for a moment and then up at her.

“Of course I did, Relena. The thing is, well… you know… Heero has been very busy keeping his corporation running and managing the affairs of the Bund…”

“A Corporation? A Bund?” 

“Oh, man, lots to unpack here.” Duo ran a hand through his bangs. “You see, Heero is the Founder, CEO and President of Yuy Technologies Industry. It takes up a lot of his time.”

“The CEO and President?” Relena tried to follow his explanation.

“Yeah. He had to find some way to explain the fortune and blend in in today’s society. He invested his money in a small business after he graduated from college and it grew and expanded and here we are!” Relena wondered briefly how that was possible. Being immortal, Heero didn’t age. Didn’t his shareholders find it odd? Perhaps he pretended to be his own offspring? And he graduated from college? It must have been night courses unless Heero was immune to the sun. This new wave of information only provided her with more questions.

“And what is a Bund?”

“A Bund is what we call a clan of Vampires. Every region has one and each Bund is divided into hives which are all managed by Lords who serve under the king. Got it?” Relena stared at him as if he had grown two heads. What he said made sense and yet it was a little much to take in.

“Ok…” she nodded, but remembered her original train of thought. “That still doesn’t give him a good enough excuse not to speak with me.”

“I know, I know, but Heero is… well, he’s not the easiest guy to get to do things he doesn’t want to do.”

“Doesn’t want to…” He didn’t want to speak with her? The idea hurt more than she cared to acknowledge. Duo had said Heero cared and yet the man didn’t even want to speak with her.

“No! Relena, that wasn’t what I meant! I mean he’s not looking forward to… that is…”

“I understand.” Relena looked down. “Thank you for trying Duo. It appears I will have to be kept against my will yet again, only this time from the truth.”

“Relena…” Hilde began.

“I’ll talk to him again Relena. He’s always in his study around midnight. Why don’t you go there tonight? I’ll make sure he is there and then you can finally talk to him! How’s that?” Duo grinned at her, eyes full of hope.

“Thank you, Duo.” He beamed at her.

“Anything for you Princess.” He winked playfully and HIlde laughed.

“Come on, Relena. The other girls and I have a few movies queued up and some fresh popcorn ready to pop! Will you join us?” 

“Other girls?” she asked. Hilde nodded.

“Yep! There’s Sally and Catherine! They’re Wufei and Quatre’s girls! You’ll love them and it will be great fun!” Relena thought about it for a second. It would be nice to have some real social interaction for once. She felt excited for the first time since her abduction.

“I’d like that.” Relena smiled at the other girl and followed her out of the library, leaving the grinning braided man with the unpleasant task of locking down the lord and master.

Relena followed Hilde down a corridor into what she later referred to as the East Wing. It was where the activity rooms were located. The live-in servants slept in the West Wing while Heero and his lords, and their blood slaves, or bonded, of choice, slept on the third floor of the three-story mansion. The East Wing was clearly a newer addition to the mansion. The more modern architecture was proof of that. She felt a little sad that any demolition had been done on such a rich piece of history but she understood the necessity. As the tour continued she saw the wing had a pool, a game room, and at the very end was an in-home theater complete with elevated platforms with luxury recliners, sound-proof walls, and a projector set up. With the money the master of the house seemed to have it wouldn’t surprise her if private viewings of hit blockbusters were a certainty upon request. Relena had never been much of a movie person, but the occasional flick caught her attention. She loved old movies from the golden age of Holly Wood.

It was in this room that she saw three women sitting patiently in pajamas. Each had various food items including movie-theater sized popcorn and candy and were laughing at something when they walked in. all laughter ceased when their eyes fell on her. Relena suddenly felt very self-conscious and took a step back instinctively.

“Hey girls! Sorry I’m late!”

“We expected you would be! Duo always distracts you whenever he gets the chance!” This came from a pretty brunette with lavender-grey eyes and star earrings. She smiled jovially.

“He did not—ok, he did, but that’s not the only reason.” Hilde paused and stepped aside and motioned to Relena. “Girls, this is Relena. She’s Heero’s… uh… Well, she’s one of us now!” Relena wasn’t sure how to respond to the way she was introduced. To be honest, she wasn’t sure what she was to Heero either, so it was understandable that Hilde did not.

“Welcome, Relena.” A woman with tawny hair spiraled on either side of her face said, soft grey eyes smiling. “I’m Sally, the ornery one over there is Catherine. The quiet one back there is Midi. She’s fairly new too.” Midi gave a sheepish smile and waved to her, then retreated back behind her long golden hair as if she wished to disappear.

“Thank you.” Relena smiled back, in spite of how awkward she felt.

“Now, come on! Grab some snacks and sit down! We’re going to start it soon!” Cathy ordered. Relena studied each of the women again. They’re smiles were so warm and their attitude so welcoming that Relena felt herself relax. She grabbed a box of chocolate-covered pretzels and a soda and took a seat next to Hilde who had swiped her goodies on the way past. Relena sat next to her and propped her feet up as Hilde passed her some popcorn.

“What are we watching?”

“We’re watching Sabrina.” Sally stated, and stole her popcorn back from Hilde. Relena smiled at the title. Sarbina was one of her favorites. The story of a chauffeur's daughter who falls in love with the younger son of her father’s wealthy employer only to find out later that what she thought she wanted wasn’t what she actually wanted. It was so deliciously romantic.

“Which one?” There were two versions of the movie. She loved both equally .

“Both.” Catherine said, nearly annoyed. “Even everyone knows the Harrison Ford version is better.”

“You shut your mouth, Cathy. The original is far better. The glitz and glamour of the bygone era of Hollywood… those were fun years.” Catherine nodded with a nostalgic smile. It occurred to Relena that these women could well be older than they seemed. She had read that being bonded kept the human from aging to keep their blood young and virile enough for their vampiric host.

“How old are you?” Relena cursed herself for asking the very rude question right after it came out. Cathy and Sally looked back and forth and Relena glanced at the third, quiet girl who would be the youngest by their admission… or at least younger than the two of them.

“Well,” Began Catherine, “I was bonded back in the mid 1700’s. I was in my early twenties, if I remember. It was so long ago. We were a traveling troupe of Romani. We were attacked and left for dead when Heero’s master appeared and offered us the chance to live.” Heero’s master? “Trowa is my younger brother and I refused to let him go through eternity alone so I offered myself to one of the boys as a bonded. Quatre was the one who bonded me to him. He’s been good to me ever since.” Relena nodded, still taking that in.

“I think you shocked her, Cathy.” Sally laughed and Relena paled in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to seem so shocked. It’s just… the 1700’s… you were around during so many important parts of history…”

“I’m far older than she,” Sally stated, smiling. “Wufei brought me with him when he came to America in the 1800’s but I’ve been with him since the seventeenth century.”

“Midi is the youngest, well, until now. Trowa bonded her to him back in the 60’s but we don’t know the details. They prefer not to talk about it.” The comment was a bit of an irritated, but sarcastic jab at the quiet blonde in the back. Relena could appreciate and respect the other blonde’s desire for secrecy. After all, some things were meant to be kept private. However, meeting others with similar situations as hers made her curiosity rise.

“Before we start the movie, do you mind if I ask you girls some questions? Since I’m new to this whole thing it might help me adjust.” Sally looked to Cathy who looked to Midi who shrugged.

“Of course, Relena. Ask anything you want. We’ll try to help.” Relen took a deep breath and tried to think how to phrase her questions. Some of them were invasive and personal but her desire for answers pushed her embarrassment to the side.

“Did you ask to be bonded, or did they just decide to bond you to them?”

“As I stated earlier, I asked.” Cathy stated casually. “Trowa is my little brother. It seemed right to be there for him.”

“You’re very noble. I don’t know many siblings that would do something like that today.” Thoughts of sibling bonds brought back the pain of loneliness from missing her own family. They had to be so worried! She mentally shook herself and continued.

“I had little choice. I was given to Wufei as part of a trade agreement. It was a different time; a different place. I wasn’t happy about it. I fought it for the longest time. After a while, though, I grew to respect him and he to respect me. Through that mutual understanding, our bond grew and here I am.”

It was Midi’s turn to offer her information. The girl could not have been older than nineteen when she’d been bonded but Relena could not very well call her younger. She was quite literally nearly thirty years Relena’s senior. Midi sat up a little straighter and blushed.

“I was part of a traveling circus through Germany in the 1960’s. We were attacked and most of my group was killed. He said it reminded him of what happened to him and Catherine…” She tailed off and looked at Cathy who nodded, sadly. “I was badly injured. Trowa saved me. I don’t know why.”

“Do you know how long we’ve waited to hear that story?!” Hilde complained.

“Shut up!” Midi threw a pillow at the brunette which she dodged.

“As for me, I was willing. Duo found me in the gutter in the early 1900’s. I had been working hard at a factory job for less than dirt in pay and was on my way home when I was assaulted. I don’t remember much about that night, but Duo was there. He saved me…” She got almost a dreamy look in her eyes. “The rest is history.” Relena nodded, taking in each story in stride.

“So,” She began, going over each story in her mind. They all seemed similar: in dire need and saved from death with the exception of Sally. The biggest detail missing made her cheeks heat at the thought… “All but Sally were willingly bonded?”

“No, I was willing at the time of the bonding. It takes consent.”

“I see.” Relena stated. “So being bonded can’t be forced?”

“Being a Blood-slave can. The difference is one has a personal bond and one is purely mental.” Relena nodded. So being bonded was emotional as well as mental? That was interesting.

“And when they bonded you to them did they… I mean… did you have to… um…”

“Did we have sex? Is that what you’re asking?” Hilde came right out and said it. Relena felt her face burning.

“So, it’s true then? He really did it?” Cathy marveled. Relena bowed her head and nodded sheepishly.

“Well, Relena, I can honestly say none of us had intercourse with our men at the time of bonding but it is said that if it is used in the process it can deepen the bond. Clearly the king wanted you for keeps.” Cathy said.

Relena found little comfort in this. The sex had not been needed. He could have bonded her to him without taking advantage of her. The idea made her temper spike. As if sensing her anger, Sally put a comforting arm around her and smiled warmly.

“I know the king seems thoughtless and uncaring. I’m bonded to someone with a similar mindset and background. However, I can tell he really cares about you. It might take him a while to say it or express it in a way that you’ll understand, but look at it this way: he didn’t have to sleep with you. He chose to. Men like Heero are choosy in whom they select as their partners. He wouldn’t have just bedded you to bed you.” That was a little more comforting.

“Besides, I’m sure you _did_ enjoy it!” Hilde teased and Relena felt the blush return worse than before.

“Leave her alone, Hilde!” Sally chided her with a laugh. “We have two movies to watch and I want to get to them before the next century!”

Relena settled into her seat as Sally dimmed the lights and the projector began to spin. As the movie began to play, Relena tried to lose herself in the plot. She still fully intended to speak to Heero once the movie was over, but for now, she would enjoy herself with her new friends.

* * *

“Come on, Heero, you need to talk to her. Please? You can’t avoid her forever!”

“I’m not.” Heero stated flatly. “She told me she wanted me to stay away from her. I am merely granting her request.” The Vampire King continued to peruse the document before him, signing his name at the bottom before moving on to the next.

“That is not exactly what she said. Besides, she was angry! And I can understand why!” Heero made a dismissive noise and signed another paper.

“Her protection is my mission in this life. I did what I saw was best. If she is angered by that, then that is not my problem.” He stacked the finished papers in a manila file and placed it in his desk drawer. Things were quite busy for him right now and the temper tantrum of his female guest did nothing to alleviate his stress. 

“Bullshit, Heero! When’s the last time you fed?! You can’t starve yourself while you wait for her to come around! You need to do something!” 

On that point, Duo was wrong. Given his age, Heero could survive without feeding longer than younger vampires, but he was feeling the strain. It didn’t help that his subconscious continued to remember the feel of her soft, warm, flesh under his own cold body. He could still hear her moan and taste her sweet, hot blood on his tongue. He craved her. No other blood would be enough... He licked his lips subconsciously and closed his eyes, picturing that look of ecstasy on her face. It wasn’t too late, he could still…

“Did you hear anything I just said?” Duo snapped at him. He cast a glare at his braided friend and saw the other man straighten in annoyance. “Geeze! You are as dumb as they come! You know everything you need to know about ruling our hive, but you have no idea what to do about one little woman!”

“Forget it, Duo. He obviously doesn’t care.” Trowa made his presence known as he entered the room. He took a spot by the door and leaned his back against the wall.

“I have done all I need to do. Here, she is protected around the clock. Here, she is marked by me and will not be bothered by those that wish her harm unless they wish to start a war.”

“So, you really don’t care about her then? Her protection is the only thing that matters to you?” Trowa’s question, in his mind, seemed redundant. He grunted in agreement. “Then you won’t mind if I keep her company at night?” Heero’s hand was around Trowa’s throat pinning him to the wall before he even realized he’d attacked.

“She belongs to me. Touch her, and you’ll be a pile of ash.”

“I belong to no one, your fangship.” He turned, still holding Trowa to see her standing at the door. His rage had masked her presence from him.

“This does not concern you.” He watched as her posture changed. Her hips squared off, cocked to the side slightly, arms folded across her chest.

“Ixnay on the ostilityhay.” Duo muttered, Heero turned quickly and glared at him causing the braided man to jump.

“Doesn’t it?” She deepened her glare, aqua eyes locking with Prussian blue. “I come down here to talk to you like two civilaized people and hear you proclaim that I ‘belong’ to you? I’d say that qualifies as concerning me.” Heero suppressed a growl. 

“Now, let him go.” Heero tightened his grip on his friend’s neck. 

“I said: Let. Him. Go.” Heero heard her small foot tapping impatiently on the marble floor. He released his hold on his friend and Trowa stumbled backward as he regained his footing. “That’s a good Vampire.” The sarcastic patronizing tone of her voice was as much an irritant as it was a slight turn on.

“My thanks, my lady.” Trowa bowed and kissed her hand. Heero felt his blood boil when a blush rose to her cheeks.

“Leave us.” He growled to both the other men. 

“You don’t gotta tell me twice! Later, Princess!” Duo smiles at her, eyes wide as he passed by. Trowa followed him, eyeing Relena on his way out. Heero turned to her, standing there in the doorway of his office, posture still extremely defiant.

“I don’t belong to you.” Her words were strong, but through their bond he could feel the confusion behind them. He smirked and took a step toward her. 

“That wasn’t the impression I got the night I marked you.” He saw her cheeks heat, an adorable addition to the defiance that flashed through her eyes.

“You mean the night you tricked me?” This was not the barb she had meant it to be. There was something different about her tonight. Touching their bond ever so slightly he could feel her hurt and disappointment, but at what he could only guess.

He chuckled low in his chest. He would win this little battle even if the desire to do so puzzled him. He did not know why he wanted to possess her. Marking her had not required the act of making love: it certainly was a pleasurable way to deepen the bond, but still wasn’t necessary. He let his eyes run up and down her form. She was covering as much of her skin as she could as demonstrated by the damned turtleneck. It made him fight the urge to tear it off of her; an easy feat with his Vampiric strength.

“I did not hear you complain then.” He heard her heart rate increase. He was winning.

“One does not normally protest what one believes to be just a dream.” Her quick wit was as refreshing as her mere presence. It added to the intoxication of her scent.

“And yet, you enjoyed it.” He saw her face turn an even darker shade of red. She obviously remembered that night as vividly as he did.

“I never said that.” there was the slightest of hesitations to her statement. 

“You don’t have to. Your heart rate betrays you.” She heaved a sigh of exasperation. “We could repeat the experience if you’d like.” He saw her cheeks redden. It was enticing.

“Over my dead body.” Before she could blink, he wrapped his arms around her, pinning her gently but firmly to the wall, his face inches from hers. He pressed himself against her so close he could feel every second of her breathing.

“You should be careful what you say. I can easily make those words a reality.” Her heart rate quickened enticingly; her sweet life’s nectar thrumming at him like a siren’s song.

“Then why don’t you?” He smirked at the challenge in her voice and he watched as several emotions flashed through her eyes. What surprised him was the one that didn’t: fear. She wasn’t afraid of him anymore. He was a blood-sucking, night-walking, killer with the strength of twenty or more men. With a flick of his wrist he could snap her neck like dry spaghetti.

“Because it’s so much more fun when my victims squirm.”

“So, now I’m your victim?” The indignation in her voice confused him.

“If I recall, you all but stated as much your first night here.” He remembered the unexpected, inexplicable pain he’d felt as she’d lobbied her accusations at him. He could still hear her sobs...

“Does that bother you?” The question hit him like a cold breeze. Did it bother him that she felt like his victim? The answer to that surprised him. The memory of her sobs and sorrow flooded back to him and he paused, taking a step back. HIs eyes and voice softened. He needed her to understand but how could he make her understand when he, himself, did not?

“I did not bring you here to hurt you.”

“Then, why am I here? Why don’t you tell me the whole truth?” He pondered her words, or tried to, but the feeling of her hot flesh with the blood pulsing underneath was intoxicating. Having her this close was too distracting, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. He couldn’t take it anymore.

He crushed his lips to hers in an almost bruising kiss. Her lips were salty sweet; tasting of buttered popcorn and chocolate. He felt her fight him for a second or two before her arms rose around his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair. She kissed him back with feverish intensity and he found himself lifting her, carrying her to his desk. She moaned into his lips as he knocked everything off of his desk with one hand. She was so light, so easy to hold that it took him no time at all to situate them. He easily undid his jeans with one hand and ripped down her jeans with the other. He needed her; needed her like he needed blood. He was an alcoholic and she was his beverage of choice. With one swift move, he ripped her turtleneck away from the first of his fleshy targets.

He bit down on her neck, and she cried out in gasp of pain and pleasure. He needed to taste the salty-sweet warmth of her blood. His fingers found the warmth between her legs and began their pleasurable dance. He could hear her thoughts and feel her confusion and… reluctance? She was torn and he knew it. He could feel her desire for him through their connection but there was still a part of her that needed something… an explanation, perhaps? She didn’t want this; not like he did and not like this. With a groan of frustration and self loathing, he released her using every last ounce of his self control. He backed away from her as though her continued touch would burst him into flames. Aqua eyes stared at him in dazed confusion.

“You…? What…?” She grabbed for the remains of her shirt. Her skin was flushed and her eyes alight with what he could have read as possible disappointment.

“You should go.” He turned from her, fixed his shirt and did up his pants and licked the remnants of her blood from his lips.

“Heero, wait! I came here to talk to you! And you-- you can’t just do something like that and then back away without a word of explanation!” She grabbed her jeans and began to pull them back up. “Please?” Her voice was soft, pleading with him for… something.

“You aren’t ready… I won’t force you to do something you don’t truly want. And I cannot give you what you need.” She looked as if she wanted to say something but he cut her off. “Your questions will be answered soon enough.” He turned back to her; she still was so tempting, flushed and helpless looking. It appealed to the predator in him. With an inner hiss, he steeled his resolve. “I promise you now: I will not touch you again unless you ask it of me.”

“Heero…” She said his name in an unfinished question.

“Go.” He used just a tiny bit of his power on her then, the slightest of suggestions to start her on her way. He didn’t watch her leave; he couldn’t. He sat back at his desk, took a deep breath and focused his own meager blood-flow back to where it needed to be. This was going to be harder than he’d ever imagined. Still, for all the trouble, he would never regret his decision to agree to be her protector, no matter the cost to himself.

  
  
  



	8. Simple Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relena has another encounter with her host

Relena flipped through the channels passing soap opera after talk show after info-mercial trying to keep her mind off of her current predicament and her last direct encounter with the lord of the manner. She was beginning to get frustrated for more than one reason. Heero had bitten her again and kissed her and… she blushed and shook her head as if to shake off the memory. That was three week ago. She hadn't seen him since.

Why was this happening to her? She had been reading any and all books in the library she could find that might have held some sort of key piece of information but had found little more than she and most of the rest of the world already knew. It surprised her how much humanity had made up in order to make themselves feel less helpless against the blood-sucking fiends. It shocked her more to find that, in the nearly two months she had been there, she had stopped seeing them as the aforementioned ‘blood-sucking fiends’.

“I feel like the lead in a bad teenage fantasy novel.” She grumbled as she sunk deeper into the plush couch. 

As far as the curse was concerned, it did not explicitly prevent them from walking in the daylight although it was ill advised. The vitamin content of the blood they drank normally was not high enough to constitute living in the sunlight for too long. She supposed this was due to the body of the host using the majority of the nutrients themselves. Still, the stronger the vampire, the easier it was. New vampires could, for a short time, continue to endure as normal, but the length of time varied based on age and gender.

Garlic had no effect on them at all. Silver was more of a werewolf thing. Holy water and crosses also did nothing against them, although being splashed and beaten by a combination of the two would put anyone in a sour mood… Lastly, inviting them in was the only way they could gain entrance. Due to the evil nature of the curse, they must be invited in by the owner or inhabitant of the domicile. Without the permission of the intended prey, the vampire cannot enter. Originally, she regretted ever agreeing to let him in. To be fair, she had been a child and thought him to be her imaginary friend. Children rarely saw things as they really were. The subsequent invitations had been the direct result of the trust she had had for him as a child. Now, she had found herself remembering slowly all of the meetings she had thought were dreams with a fondness that would be irrational to any normal person.

The only sure way to kill a vampire seemed to be the violent and gruesome practice of severing their head from their body or driving a stake through their undead hearts. Of course it would kill them: it would kill anyone! She groaned and rubbed her hand over the ‘mark.’ He had chosen her for a reason. He was hiding the truth from her and she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why. It was maddening. HE was maddening. She hated his arrogance. She hated his smug smirks. She hated his patronizing gaze from those deep, dark blue pools… she could fall into their depths and never wish to come up for air…

She growled and threw a pillow across the room, watching as it whizzed right past the head of the man that haunted her thoughts. He looked his usual attractive self in his deep blue button down shirt and black slacks. The first three buttons were undone revealing just the top of his muscular chest and the slacks were just tight enough in all the right places… she mentally shook herself again. She had to keep herself focused. She could NOT let his mind games get to her.

“Did the pillow do something to anger you?” His voice was deep and strong, but impassive. She looked away. She didn’t need to explain herself to him. " The servants have complained about the library being a mess; your doing, I presume?”

“Do the servants know what you are?” It was a legitimate question. She had no way of knowing just how ‘out’

“Not all, and those that do seem not to mind very much.” He made his way over to the couch and sat on the cushion farthest from her. Even having him this close was more intense than she wanted to admit. There seemed to be an undeniable spark: an electricity between them that attracted her like a bug to a zapper. She hated it… and loved it.

“You still owe me an explanation.” Her words cause his brow to rise.

“Do I?” He infuriated her. He was so conceited and self-assured… sexy… She mentally slapped herself. 

“You said that ‘all would be clear soon enough’ but I still know nothing more than when you brought me here.

“The mess in the library says otherwise.”

“Okay, play your game, if you must.” She stood up. “I don’t know why exactly you brought me here. At first you said to be your queen, but I have heard enough from gossip and whispers to know that that isn’t entirely true.”

“Have you read anything explaining what the binding process is and what it means?” She had another flash of that night race through her mind and felt her stomach do a flip that left her aching for something....

“I have.” She had found the book about vampire bonding halfway through the second week and been memorizing every detail.

“Tell me what you know.” She bristled at his order and, as if sensing her displeasure he added: “If you would.” She eyed him for a moment, wondering about the change but answered him.

“There are four reasons why a vampire bites someone other than for food and three ways a Vampire can bind someone to them. Each bond has a different purpose: a puppet, a blood slave, or a mate…” she found herself pausing after that last one. “The first two are the weakest of the bonds although the slave is stronger than the puppet. If the subject is turned instead of made into a puppet or slave, then a certain amount of blood from the vampire must be consumed by the intended victim to begin the transformation process. Otherwise, the puppets can be used to run errands and the blood slaves are used as a reserve food source in case the vampire cannot go out and hunt.”

“And you know which bond we have?”

“You mean the bond you…” She stopped herself. Now was not the time for animosity. He was giving her answers. That’s that she wanted. “The one that was formed the night we... ” She felt her cheeks flush again, remembering his touch, his kiss… the bite… He nodded, an amused glint in his dark eyes.

“The night I came to you. Yes.”

“I had thought it was a dream… That  _ you  _ were a dream… the rest made little sense to me until now.”

“And yet, it was not a dream… it was real… I am real… and so was what we did that night… remember…?” His voice was husky now, smooth and sultry. She did remember. Every second, every sensation was burned into her consciousness no matter how hard she tried to forget it. She wanted to be angry! She should still be angry, but she wasn’t. She felt a lump forming in the back of her throat and tried to push the feeling aside as her frustration surfaced and took to words.

“Why me? Why won’t you let me go? What is so special about me? Is this a game to you? Am I to be a toy or a trophy? You could have any girl you wanted. Prettier, richer, curvier… and you chose me? Why?” When had she started crying? She stared into his eyes searching for some sort of answer. He merely reached out and wiped away one of the tears with a gentle, calloused finger.

“Because you are you… something no one else can be…” he paused and brushed a few strands of hair from her face.

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I…” He looked down for a moment and seemed to let his guard down. Without trying, she could feel through their connection he was nervous. “You make me feel weak… vulnerable…” He laid his hand on one side of her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. Vampires, especially kings, hate feeling vulnerable.” He paused, locking eyes with her. 

“But-?”

“I am not sorry for what I did. I wanted to protect you. I  _ am _ sorry about how... I was wrong.” The remorse she heard in his words gripped her heart.

“Heero…” it was the first time she’d said his name in a while and she watched as he closed his eyes as if savoring the moment. They both seemed to lean in closer to one another, he reached up and caressed the side of her face with his hand. How was this happening? She was mad at him, wasn’t she? She felt herself reaching out to him to touch their bond and found a cavalcade of emotions. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way, but she knew one thing: he definitely wasn’t forcing her.

Their lips were inches apart when he suddenly stiffened and backed away from her. The pained look on his face made her heart wrench in her chest.

“Heero?” Her voice trembled.

“I promised I would not touch you again unless you asked it of me. I’m Sorry.”

He wouldn’t look at her and it hurt. She ached to look into those eyes; to see into his thoughts. She reached out and touched his cheek, his skin so cool under the warmth of her fingertips… She felt lightheaded for an instant; pain, confusion, desire, all washed over her and she realized that she somehow had connected with him through their bond. He was in pain: mentally tormenting himself. She felt his guilt and sorrow and something else… he was weak. He felt so weak under her intimate invasion of his mind. How long had he gone without feeding? He needed to feed… he needed her. In that instant, she knew what she needed to do,

“Please, Heero… Don’t run away from me.” She caressed his cheek with her thumb and his eyes closed at the tender gesture.

“Relena…” reached up and covered her hand with his, his eyes finally meeting hers, spiraling with tenderness and passion… she sensed his need… his hunger… “I can’t… I’m so…”

“It’s okay, Heero…” She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. In that instant, with those few words, she used their connection to make the final push. He needed no other encouragement. With a gentleness she remembered from their first night, he laid her down on the couch and began softly nuzzling her neck. She moaned his name and wrapped her arms around him. She felt his tongue massage the skin above the same spot, warm, wet and searching. Finally, she felt it. It wasn’t painful, or nearly as jarring. This time, pure euphoria flowed through her body igniting every nerve with a pleasurable fire. She whispered his name again and allowed herself to slip away into the bliss of their intimate connection. She could feel his thoughts as her life’s blood flowed into him.

**Only you… only you…**

**‘Heero…?’** Was she… hearing his inner thoughts…?

**Only you can satisfy me… only you...**

A painful realization dawned on her. He had been starving himself because of her. He had wanted her; needed her and he had been allowing himself to suffer to respect her wishes. He could have taken what he wanted. He could have easily forced her into his bed and compelled her to let him drink but he hadn’t… She decided to use their bond to speak, feeling a whole new form of warm intimacy with each mental brush against it.

‘ **Then** **why…?’**

**You didn’t want me…**

The pain that washed from him in that one thought brought tears to her eyes. Didn’t want him? No. She had always wanted him… 

**‘No… I was angry… hurt… but now…’**

She felt the truth of her thoughts. Even at her angriest of moments she had ached for him as well. She had needed to feel him, wanted to be with him in every way. She always had. She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks as the strongest of revelations came to her. The anger, the feelings of betrayal and fear, her desire for him all stemmed from the simple fact that she… loved him? She pulled that thought back, pulling away from their connection to hide her thoughts from him. 

Heero stiffened, removed his fangs and licked away the blood gently before pulling back. She tried to touch their bond again but he had erected a wall between them this time. She reached for him, but he had turned his back to her and stood up, refusing to look at her.

“Heero… what…? I don’t understand..?”

“Thank you.” His eyes and voice were emotionless once again, but he finally looked at her, eyes impassive and unreadable, and walked out of the room. In spite of the blood loss, she found the strength to stand and ran after him, but found the hall to be empty. He was gone... and she was left alone with her questions once again.

* * *

Heero stormed into his office and growled in sheer frustration. She blocked him out! How did she block him out?! She was new to this world and to their bond. There was no way she could have done it and yet she did! She allowed him to feed, let him in again for the first time since her arrival and then she blocked him! He barely resisted the urge to punch something. Why did it bother him so much? Why did her rejection hurt him? He didn’t need her acceptance in the first place. Bonding her to him was to make his protection of her absolute and indisputable and yet whenever he was near her he couldn’t stop...

“Heero, buddy! Are you okay?” Duo and Quatre came into his office, their worry evident. Heero kept his back to them, too furious to say anything. Quatre reached out, using the bond of the bund to try and sooth his anger.

“Not now, Quatre.” He growled and Quatre pulled back, wincing at the force of the mental rejection. It was said Werewolves had an omega to keep the other wolves calm in tense situations. Quatre served at the vampiric equivalent and was an empath whose abilities were so strong they caught the attention of his Maker who intended to use the boy for the same purpose. 

“Heero, what happened?” Heero paced back and forth, trying to quell his anger. Duo stayed back, but still asked.

“Heero, did something happen with Relena?” Quatre dared step closer, reaching out to touch Heero’s shoulder. Heero turned and glared at both of them. Heero went to his chair and sat down, slumping.

“Are… are you… pouting…?” Duo teased. Heero felt the urge to punch the braided man but instead intensified his glare and watched as both men flinched.

“Duo, leave now.” HIs voice was menacing. The braided man had taken it one step too far.

“Okay, pally boy, I know when I’m not wanted.” Duo makes his way to the door. “Good luck, Q.” As Duo left, Heero took a deep breath and exhaled, reminding himself not to kill his friend.

“Heero…” Quatre started. “Tell her how you feel.” Heero bristled, shot to his feet and prepared to put his subordinate in his place but stopped when he saw the look in the blonde man’s eyes. The sympathy and understanding made him pause. He looked down and ran hand through his bangs. Heero walked back to his chair and sat down again.

“I don’t know what happened between the two of you, and I can tell you don’t want to talk about it, but consider this: Relena is not from our world. She doesn’t know our culture and she doesn’t understand what has happened to her. She’s confused and has been through a lot. If she did something to hurt you, it most likely was an accident. She doesn’t seem like the kind of girl that would do anything to hurt you on purpose.” With that last statement, Quatre left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.


	9. The Bond is Sealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After months of dancing around their true feelings, something finally gives... and gives... and gives... oh, and this is the lemon chapter. so... read at your own risk?

Relena returned to her room after the movie marathon. The girls had decided to watch back to back John Wayne movies including all that they thought were his greatest hits. Her favorites so far had been McClintock and The Quiet Man that had Maureen O'hara as his co-star. The two actors seemed to have such chemistry on screen that one would believe they were truly in love off screen as well. It had been hours of fun with laughs and trivia offered by the women who had been around long enough to remember the movies’ releases. 

It still amazed her to know that the other women had been around so long in perpetual immortality and Relena couldn’t help but wonder what such an existence would be like in the coming years. Her bond to Heero would ensure her continued existence so long as he too remained living. It was the saddest part of the bond. If the vampiric host of the bond ceased to exist, then his bonded would perish as well although the books were not specific as to wether or not that meant immediately following or if they would be able to live out the rest of what would have been their mortal existence.

Deep down, Relena couldn’t help but wonder how Heero came to be a vampire. He didn’t seem to mind the lifestyle, but then, there was much she still didn’t know about him. For all she knew, he hadn’t wished to be turned into a member of the undead, although her research had indicated that wasn’t exactly what a vampire was. What kind of life had he lived? Who had he been? Where did he come from? So many questions plagued her mind that she didn’t know how to ask or even if she could. As she tucked herself under the covers, she felt her mind wandering off, drifting further down that train of thought until one last thought remained as she slipped into slumber:

**Heero… I want to know more about you...**

* * *

_She was in pain. The ground beneath her was cold and wet but the feeling was beginning to fade. Her limbs were going numb. Her chest burned with a fire she had never felt before. Her ears were ringing. She was confused, scared, and wounded. What happened? She vaguely remembered a home… a mom… a dad… and then fire and thunder… everything… there were footfalls; lots of them, coming closer by the moment. A pair of boots stopped beside her head._

_“Sir, it appears our weapon misfired.”_

_“I can see that, Corporal.” The superior officer responded._

_“With all due respect sir, these lives were lost because of our carelessness.”_

_“You’re too soft, corporal. This is war. Sacrificing the general public is nothing to be troubled over. This new weapon will change the course of history.” She was angry. These men had killed her family! Destroyed her home without a second thought. She reached out a weak hand and grabbed the boot of her family’s murderer, anger driving her forward as she leapt to her feet, tackling him to the ground._

_“What the devil?!” The exclamations of the corporal were minor compared to the swear words coming from the commanding officer as she punched him repetitively._

_“Get this wretched boy off of me!” Boy? Relena’s mind reeled. It hadn’t been her family they killed. This wasn’t her life or her past.... It was Heero’s._

_“He’s a fighter!” they pulled her/him roughly off the commander and held her/him in the air by the arm._

_“Yes… indeed… a fighter…” The man stood up and looked at what would have been Heero over. “You’re injured but with a little work, you’ll be fine. Put him down, but hold him. We don’t want our new recruit to get away.”_

_“Recruit, sir?” The corporal asked. “But he’s just a boy.”_

_“Exactly, Corporal. We will take this boy with us; train him and teach him to be our little secret weapon. Our perfect soldier.”_

_“But, Commander Dekim-”_

_“Don’t question my authority, Corporal, if you do not wish to join the boy’s family in the land of the dead.”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

_“Now, take the boy to the doctors. I am sure they will want to start on him right away.” The Corporal saluted and dragged Heero with him, giving the confused, injured boy no time to grieve for the home that had been taken from him…_

_The next thing she felt was hunger beyond words and a pain unlike any she had ever known. She saw the men around Heero give him a sword , though his legs and arms were in chains._

_“Now, boy, we will teach you to fight. You will need to learn how to be proficient even in the worst of circumstances. Your chains will be your challenge. Now, defend yourself!” Heero fell, the chains digging into his flesh every time he moved too far or too quickly and each time he fell her was punished by a boot to his gut. Again and again his family’s murderers beat him and taunted him. His stomach cried out for food, his mouth for water, his muscles for rest… Another time skip showed him wielding his blade in the name of those who trained him. She felt nothing: no anger, pain or remorse; just a desire to kill his enemies… She could feel that he hated it. He hated obeying them but they had broken him… she found herself falling into the emptiness she felt in his heart… Relena could not bear to see him suffer anymore…_

* * *

She bolted upright in a cold sweat, tears sliding down her cheeks. It had been awful. Heero had suffered so much… there was so much pain… so much loss in just that brief memory. Her heart broke for him. She pulled her knees up to her chest and contemplated her new knowledge of the king’s past. He had been just a boy; a mere child and they beat and starved him. It made her sick. 

Deciding that further attempts at sleep would be futile, she threw off the covers and slipped on a robe. As a child, her brother had made her jell-o water to sooth her to sleep. It was an odd thing that most people would never think of, but the warm strawberry liquid had calmed her. She doubted such a thing could be found in the kitchen but perhaps tea would do just as well. 

She made her way through the corridors and halls and down the stairs to the kitchen which lay in the back toward the servants’ wing. She had made many a visit there for snacks and treats with Hilde and the girls on the occasions where they had make-shift slumber parties or random group events. They had played poker the other day and used potato chips as currency. Relena, sadly, had no face for bluffing at all and found herself at a terrible disadvantage. Hilde and Catherine seemed to be the most skilled at the game leaving her, Sally and Midi in quite the predicament. 

To her surprise, Heero had been coming around a little more since she had willingly let him feed. In fact, he seemed to make a point to check on her and had watched, amused as she lost repetitively at poker. The smirk that her misfortune earned her had been both irksome and endearing. At least he wasn’t avoiding her anymore.

Upon entering the kitchen, she found him already there. He was standing over the stove where the tell-tale sounds of boiling water could be heard. Relena could not help but admire him. Every time she saw him she was blown away by his masculine beauty. Tonight he had dawned a simple pair of dark- wash jeans and a green t-shirt both of which may have been tighter than it needed to be. Not that she was complaining. She couldn’t help but notice the muscles move in his arm even in the simple motion of stirring the water. One long sniff told her the contents of the pot: strawberry jell-o. 

She could feel that he knew she was there. He turned and looked at her over his shoulder, acknowledging her as he turned off the heat of the stove and grabbed a mug out of the cupboard for her, setting it on the table. She gave him a small smile as she approached.

“You couldn’t sleep.” it was a statement, his tone concerned. She shook her head. He poured some of the hot, red water into the cup and slid it over to her. “Here.”

“Thank you.” she gently took the handle of the cup, blew on it and took a sip. 

Of course he knew she loved this. He had been watching her her whole life. He had most likely seen her drink it before. The fact that he had the foresight to have it on hand for her though touched her. He didn’t ask her about her sleeplessness; in fact, he didn’t speak at all. He merely watched her as she enjoyed the beverage in a comfortable silence. She couldn’t help but wish he were closer… that she could touch him… as if he sensed her thoughts, he moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. It was an innocent embrace: no heat or passion; just companionship, and just as unexpected as it was sweet. This man confused her. One moment he runs from her, the next he holds her close. In spite of the contradictory actions, she leaned back into his embrace, letting out a sigh as she closed her eyes and appreciated the closeness.

“How did you know?” She finally asked, breaking the silence. 

“I could feel your distress. I thought this would help sooth you.” 

She hummed in affirmation. “Thank you for thinking of me.” 

He nodded.. 

They stayed like that in comfortable silence until her drink was finished. In spite of the tender, albeit unexpected moment, she still wanted to know why he had left so abruptly the other night. He had fed and left her without a second thought. Deciding now was as good a time as any, she turned around to face him, gazing into his eyes.

“Heero… why did you leave the other night?” He stiffened, his eyes clouding over before he looked away. “After you fed, you just left… why?” He looked as if he wanted to say something but thought twice about it and stepped out of her embrace.

“You should go and try to get back to sleep.” Heero stated and began to walk away. On impulse, she reached out and grabbed his shirt, stopping him.

“Please, answer my question!” She pushed again. “Why did you leave?”

“You blocked me.” There was pain in those words and she tried to think about what he was referring to. “I felt you close your mind to me.”

“I did…?” Her mind raced to try and recall exactly what had happened. He had been feeding from her after starving himself… She had been thinking about her feelings… the betrayal, the anger… how they didn’t seem to matter because she _had_ agreed to it all. She _had_ wanted it; to be with him because the only thing that mattered was that she… loved him… She was afraid what he would do if he knew; afraid how he would react... 

“Heero, please…” She raised her other hand to her chest over her heart. “I didn’t mean to shut you out.” It was only half true, but she continued. “This bond is new to me and I don’t fully understand how to use or control it…” she paused, letting him listen. “I’m confused as well. One moment you act as if you want me more than anything, the next you turn away as though i burned you… I don’t understand.” It took a moment before he responded.

“I told you I don’t understand it either…” He turned to her again, eyes flashing with fire and ice all at once. “There is part of me that wants to lose myself in you. There are things I want to do to you, with you that I’m not sure I should want and I’m certain I don’t deserve.” She saw a flash of his past again; the pain and torment he had gone through… The things they made him do… 

“Heero…” she walked to him, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his muscular chest. “I don’t care about your past. I don’t care who you were or who you think you are.... You are Heero… My protector…” _my love_ … she paused before she added that last thought. “You always have been, and I _do_ trust you, more than I have ever trusted ayone. That’s all that matters.” 

“Relena…” He pulled back and lifted her chin, looking into her eyes before pressing his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss; soft but strong, and she returned it, standing on her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck. 

Relena felt his desire for her as real as she felt his body on hers. She heard him groan and took the initiative, deepening the kiss, coaxing his mouth open. Their tongues began to dance as the desire between them refused to be ignored any longer. She felt his arms slide down to her hips, gently grabbing her around the waist. He lifted her up without breaking their kiss and placed her onto the table. HIs hands roamed over her thin form and every inch of her felt alive.

“Woah! Hey! Um…” 

Heero growled and tore his lips from hers as their attention was brought to the kitchen entrance.

“Duo!” Relena could feel Heero’s desire to throttle the braided man and his girl for their interruption. She had to admit, she shared his annoyance.

“Sorry… We just came for uh… um… never mind! We’re leaving!” While they made their hasty retreat, Heero rested his head in the crook of her neck, breathing heavily.

“Relena…” His voice sounded pained, desperate…he was asking her what she wanted. She reached out to him the same as she had before, touching their bond. 

“Don’t stop...” 

He raised his head to lock eyes with her. She stared back, matching his intensity and pressed on their bond letting him feel her need… her desire. 

“Please…” 

Heero groaned and shifted, picking her up. 

“Heero?” She questioned him, disappointment in her voice. He smirked, crushing his lips to hers.

“Not here.” He almost growled, and she felt a mix of his desire to protect her modesty from prying eyes and a possessiveness that held everything she was as only for him. She loved it. He carried her up the stairs and through the halls to his bedroom. She didn’t have any time to admire the room or anything in it because she soon found herself on his bed… with him.

He made quick work of her clothes, dipping his head down to feast on her now exposed breasts.

Relena cried out, her back naturally arching to accommodate his ministrations all the while letting her hands explore him… she tugged at his shirt, needing to feel his hot flesh on her own. He all but growled as he pulled back and tore his shirt over his head before delving back down immediately to continue his lustful assault on her chest. Her fingers raked up and down his muscular back, exploring every contour as they contracted with his movements. 

Heero released her breasts and began to move, kissing down her abdomen while his hands removed her pants. Her eyes locked with his and she saw the heat and desire as his mouth hovered over her center… she felt one long finger begin to probe and massage her folds while he kissed and licked her inner thigh… his mouth paused over the location of her femoral artery… she felt the brief sting followed by a flood of pleasure and heat that made her even wetter as he began to feed from her. He inserted one finger and began to pump slowly at first before adding a second finger and increasing his speed… she gasped and moaned, her head thrashing against the bedding as her hands buried themselves in his thick hair, massaging his scalp and urging him on. 

As she neared her climax, she moaned in disappointment as he pulled back and licked his bitemarks tenderly, healing them up before moving back up to capture her lips with his. She tasted the coppery tang of her blood on his tongue as he thrust into her mouth but she didn’t care… she needed him… but pleasure was supposed to go both ways and she had quite a bit to make up to him for… 

**‘I… I want to taste you… please…’** She felt her cheeks heat, embarrassed, as she used their bond to make such a lewd request and heard an animalistic, guttural groan tear from his lips as he allowed her to adjust her position to kneeling on the bed between his muscular legs.. 

She leaned forward and kissed him again before slowly sliding down his chest as she lowered herself, kissing and nibbling his washboard abs as she did so, running her hands, fingers splayed, down his flesh, eliciting moans from him. When she reached the object of her desire, she paused momentarily. She hadn’t a whole lot of experience with this, but novels she had read gave her enough of an idea what to do and she intended to use that knowledge as best as she could. 

She reached out her petite hands and gently grasped around his impressive girth, fondling the balls with one hand as she stroked him with two tentative fingers before licking the tip. The moment her tongue made contact with his tip, he hissed and she felt his hands grab her head tenderly. She smiled and licked up from his sacs up the shaft to the tip, enjoying every noise he made in response. 

Finally, she took the tip gingerly between her lips and slid him in slowly, as deeply as she could before pulling him out again to the tip. She repeated this a few times before increasing her pace, swirling her tongue and using her teeth to add further stimulation. She nearly gagged when he bucked his hips forward, forcing himself in as far as he could. She let him take control then. He used her hair as his personal handles and thrust wildly down her throat. 

He was close; she could feel his cock pulsing with the pressure of his desire and readied herself for his juices, but they didn’t come. Instead, he pulled himself from her mouth with an audible pop and he lifted her from her place kneeling over the lower half of his body. She needed him inside her, her body ached for him. He knew. She could feel their bond stronger than ever as he lifted her up effortlessly and positioned himself at her entrance. He thrust into her rough and hard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he thrust in and out of her with an animalistic urgency. The harder he thrust, the deeper he went, filling her with each thrust as though she had been made just for him. Their moans and grunts mingled with the sound of flesh hitting flesh as their bodies became one. 

**More… Need more…**

He sent this thought to her and it made her shudder with her own need. She understood and nodded her head into his shoulder as she felt him shift her again. Without pulling out, he moved and flipped her so that her arms and legs were prone, leaving her rear in the air and him able to take her from behind. The new position allowed him to deepen his thrusts as he took her harder than ever. He had been waiting for this, wanting it, and now they were both indulging in what they had been denying themselves for too long. 

She felt the first orgasm hit her like a tidal wave of pleasure and knew he was close to his own release. She coaxed him, moaned his name and called to him, encouraging him. He jerked her hair, making her arch her back as he leaned forward and clamped his teeth down on her neck again, no fangs this time, but still the desired effect. Finally, with one last hard thrust, he buried himself deep in her womb erupting in an orgasm that sent her over the edge for a second time.

They collapsed on the bed, him clutching her close to him, staying buried in her warmth as the tremors of their completion slowly ebbed. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her ear, whispering to her. She sighed, as emotions of all kinds swirled through her. Somehow, they ended up laying there, facing one another. He reached out his hands and caressed her cheeks and smoothed her hair and she reached up and kissed the palm of his hand tenderly. She loved this man so much and she had tortured him, blaming him for everything when she had been party to it all along. He had apologized weeks ago. It was her turn.

“I’m sorry, Heero.”

“Hm?” His eyes locked with hers, confusion evident in those deep blue pools. 

“I’m sorry I made you wait… that I blamed you... I really did want this... all of it. Can you forgive me..?”

In answer, he kissed her, this time soft and tender, his mind beginning to meld with hers.


	10. Connections and Communications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zechs begins to take action, Relena learns amore about her mysterious lover, and Heero demonstrates his trust in her

Ch. 9

Howard “Monkey Wrench” Cornelli, to the untrained eye, looked like a harmless old man on a permanent vacation - with his sunglasses and oversized Hawaiian shirt. However, to Zechs Merquis, he was one of the masterminds of the criminal underworld. Formerly one of Zechs’ Criminal Informants, Howard knew something about everything going on amongst the unscrupulous and the underhanded. If Relena had truly been kidnapped, Zechs would bet his last dollar that Howard would know something about it.

“It’s risky to meet here at this hour, Wind.” Howard still used Zechs’ old code name. He might have been amused if the situation wasn’t...dire.

“Do you have the info I asked for or not?” He had precious little time. Treize would not like knowing he was going rogue, but he had to find his sister by any means possible, even if it meant angering the entire precinct.

“Yeah, I got it, but you ain’t gonna be happy about it.” Howard took a last puff from his cigar before throwing it to the ground and smashing it under his heel. He reached into the pocket of his khaki pants and pulled out a small thumb drive. Zechs put a hand out to take it, but Howard pulled it back. 

“Not so fast. I’m a business man; I never give anything away for free.”

“I guess the nine charges of varying degrees of larceny aren’t reason enough for you?” Zechs knew how to play hard ball with his CI’s.

“Fine, never say I’m not a reasonable guy. Just don’t let this get out or I’ll have others of your kind stiffin’ me. And a guy’s gotta make a livin’.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Zechs took the small device and tucked it safely into his suit pocket. 

30 minutes later...

Zechs pulled his late model Charger into the apartment community garage; he and his wife Noin lived in a small, but tasteful apartment up four flights of stairs. It was moderately sized and located in a decent part of town - where you could get a good night’s sleep, but still hear all the vibrant sounds of the city nearby.

Noin would be asleep when he arrived; she’d always been more of a morning person while Zechs and his kind… Well, a double shot of espresso was generally required to rouse him before noon. Tonight, he was glad she would be in bed, early, without him. He didn’t want to involve her in this. If he was going to get in trouble, then he would ensure she couldn’t be linked to it.

It took him almost no time at all to fire up the laptop and enter his password. He plugged in the flash drive and waited as the loading bar filled at a molasses pace. Finally, the sound of the completed download chimed. He opened the folders and his heart plummeted in his chest. His worst fears were confirmed: not only had she been abducted, but  _ HE  _ had her. 

“That bloodsucking bastard!” Zechs grabbed his jacket and stormed out the door. This couldn’t wait. He had to tell the Council. Even if it meant starting a war, he had to get his sister back. 

His keys jingled obnoxiously as they caught on the material of his pocket, slowing his progress. He swore under his breath, finally freeing them from their cloth confines as he reached for the door handle.

A female voice called out behind him: “Just a moment, Mr. Milliardo.” He froze. He knew that voice. “Dorothy,” he nearly growled. “What do you want?”

“I see you figured out where she is.” 

Zechs turned to her, eyes wide with fury. “You knew.” It was a statement; an accusation. She smirked and stroked one of her eyebrows.

“Why, Mr. Milliardo, I’m surprised at you. Of course I knew. I’ve always known where she was. Afterall, I worked for him for years.” Before the woman could blink, he had her pinned against her own car, his hand around her throat.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you.” Dorothy’s composure never wavered; amusement mocking him in her blue-grey eyes.

“If my assumptions are correct, you were on your way to speak to the Council about the next course of action - in the hopes of riling them into a frenzy so you could storm the mansion to take your sister back.” He tightened his grip but still no change. “What if I told you I wish to help you free her from him and can do so without starting an inevitable and unnecessary fuss?”

“Why?”

“As much as the idea of a war between your two blood-thirsty races thrills me, I have to wonder what sort of effect it will have on our dear Relena.”

“That’s it? You’re concerned for how she will feel?” Dorothy’s smirk widened, eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“Any further motivations I may have are mine and mine alone. Either you accept my help, or don’t. The choice is yours.” Zechs considered her words. There were few people outside the pack and the precinct he trusted. Though she was Relena’s best friend, Dorothy just admitted to working for the man responsible for stealing his sister away. With that and her other divided loyalties, the chances of being double-crossed were too great. Releasing his grip, he watched as she gasped for air with some satisfaction before turning from her.

“I’ll pass.”

“Have it your way.” She waved it off. “Just remember what an idiotic decision this was when it backfires.” He growled and got into his car and sped off. 

***

Pack headquarters was an old three-story, brick and mortar mansion in the middle of town about three miles from where his father’s house once stood. Traditionally, the pack would designate the home of the Alpha as their headquarters, but when his sister was born, the Council determined it to be too dangerous. Having too many of the pack members under the same roof left the entire pack vulnerable; so, the building had been purchased to ensure a more secure location. That same Council was the one he had to appeal to. 

Parking his car, Zechs walked to the front stoop, took a moment to lean on the cast-iron railings and ran a nervous hand through his bangs.

“Yuy...” He growled as he reached for the knob. “You’re going to pay for this!”

The peal of his cell phone halted his step. He almost didn't answer… almost let it go to voicemail, but in case it was an emergency…

"What?" He growled into the receiver. What he heard next almost caused him to miss one of the stairs; he slipped and caught himself on the railing.

"Mili, it's me." Relena. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. She was all right. She was calling him… and he intended to try and get some answers.

* * *

_ The smell of rotting wood, damp earth, blood, and gunpowder assaulted her senses. The sky was dark and drizzling a fine mist of winter rain on the dreary countryside.She could feel the cold mud underneath her as it seeped into her clothes and chilled her skin. She felt the pain in her side as fierce as fire itself and heard a masculine moan. It took her a moment to realize the moan came from her… or rather him… she was in his memories again. This time, she could feel the life leaving him. He was weak; too weak to breathe, let alone try to stand and yet she felt him urging their body to move. _

_ “Well, well… a survivor… how impressive.” Black boots entered their vision - shinier than they had a right to be on the muddy fields around them. The man had a deep voice: soft and low. There seemed to be an almost hypnotic hum to it that radiated in their blood. Suddenly, they were hefted out of the mud and forced to stand. By this time, the bloodloss had caused them to lose feeling in the majority of their body. _

_ “You’re a fighter, boy. I can tell. I could use someone with your strength and conviction at my side.” She could feel Heero thinking. They were too weak to talk. “I can read your thoughts boy. You hate the men you served with. They killed your family. They tortured you. They sent you out here to the front lines to die without any explanation after all you did for them. Your heart burns for revenge. I can give you that and so much more, but you must give me everything. You must surrender your body, mind and soul to me.”  _

_ Body? She felt the dread and disgust in Heero’s mind. _

_ “No, boy. Not like that. I am a man of many tastes, but that is not one I wish to try anytime soon.” She felt Heero relax a little. “Now, boy, swear fealty to me, pledge all that you are and all that you have and I will give you everything you could ever want and more.” She felt the conflict in his mind as he weighed death over eternal submission. Was revenge worth it? Finally, as the last of his life threatened to leave, they nodded.  _

_ “Very good.” The man stepped forward and paused, leaning down. “This will only hurt for a moment.”  _

_ The sudden, sharp pain of the fangs penetrating their neck was one she was acquainted with but the fire that followed was new. She felt the searing heat spreading through their veins, heard the painful cries coming from their mouth before their body went cold. Suddenly, the fangs left their neck and she felt something wet against their lips. She knew by the musty coppery taste as it trailed down their throat that it was blood… they were drinking this man’s blood… suddenly, the fire returned, white hot and surging through them until it became unbearable… Finally, the pain subsided and she found them being set down; strength returned and feeling renewed. _

_ “Excellent! Welcome, my boy, to my bund!” _

***

Relena shot up in the bed, sweat dripping down her skin as she gasped for air. Each time she had one of those dreams it left her in a temporary state of shock. More and more pieces of his past were falling into place and the more she knew, the more she understood him. It had been a week since she had finally allowed him into her mind and heart and accepted the bond in its entirety. Heero hadn’t been willing to let her return to sleeping in her own room, but she had no desire to complain. These dreams seemed to be somehow connected to their bond.

“Well, you wanted to know more about him, Relena.” She pulled her knees up to her chest, head resting on her knees as she tried to continue letting herself calm down.

**Relena…?** She felt him in her mind, as well as his concern and confusion. She closed her eyes and reached out to him, smiling.

**‘I’m fine. Just a dream.’** She felt him there a moment longer, his mind caressing her consciousness. Seemingly satisfied that she was, in fact, all right, he reached out and she could swear she could feel his lips on her neck.

**Good. Come to the study when you can. I have something for you**

**‘Alright.’** She felt him pull out of her mind, but relished the lingering, comforting tingle left behind that assured her he was still there. She smiled to herself. 

How had things changed so quickly? Okay, so a few months wasn’t quick, but it had been worthwhile. For the first time in her life, she felt content. She felt as though this was where she was supposed to be her whole life. It was far from perfect. She still had hundreds of questions about why he did what he did and even had begun to realize that the answers might explain why she was kept under literal lock and key. She wanted to go back to work. She still had yet to be allowed to contact her family and the rest of the world may well have given her up for dead. She had tried bringing this to his attention only to have it pushed aside in some nonchalant sort of way that temporarily made her forget she had asked at all. 

She was still unable to leave the manor or go anywhere without some sort of protective guard. Being bonded with the vampire king had its perks, but it also came with unexpected restrictions and limitations that she, as an independent woman, found quite stifling. It wasn’t that she was unhappy. Quite the contrary. It was just…

“Perturbing.” 

She kicked the covers off and made her way to the shower. The warmth and steam helped to wash away the residual murkiness in her mind that always remained from those dreams. Heero’s past had been a painful one full of strife and blood and betrayal; the more she learned, the more his behavior made sense to her. It did not excuse his unwillingness to explain things to her, but it did help her to come to terms with the strange dynamic that was slowly changing. 

"If only he would tell me the whole truth!" 

Deciding to favor comfort over fashion, she chose a simple pair of light wash jeans and a light pink sweater. She vaguely remembered feeling his pleasure at seeing her wear the color, though she much preferred blues and greens. Deciding to forgo footwear, she donned a pair of pink footie socks nearly the same color as her shirt. She left her hair down, knowing how much he loved it flowing down her back. She smiled to herself. Her lover had quite the appetite in more ways than one and she had little issue with honoring his preferences.

When she entered his study, she saw him sitting in his large desk chair, pen in hand as he perused a document with particular scrutiny. He looked up and the corners of his lips turned up slightly into a small smile just for her. His eyes were where the true greeting lay; deep and swirling with a tender contentment. She walked to him and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He reciprocated, bringing his hand up to the back of her neck to caress it gently. 

"Good morning." She straightened her posture and made to step back, but he pulled her into his arms. "You said you have something for me?" He nodded.

"I do, but before that…" he paused, eyes serious with concern. "you haven't been sleeping well…" She thought for a moment to try and deflect his inquiry, but he would know… and he would think she was hiding from him… she didn't want to hurt him again.

"No."

"Will you tell me why?" He could use their connection to pry. He could force her to tell, but he seemed to want her to go to him about such things, instead. He really did want her to be able to keep some privacy. She smiled. She didn't want him to worry, not when there was no need, but if he knew what was causing her dreams he may shut that part of himself off to her… she didn't want that.

"I have been having dreams lately." She met his eyes, his brows furrowed and his lips turned down slightly in a frown.

“Dreams,” he stroked her cheek gently, “Or nightmares?” She leaned into his touch. She shook her head. 

“I’m not sure what to call them… They’re not mine…” His eyes widened slightly before shading over with awareness. He dropped his hand from her cheek. “They’re… more like… memories?” He looked away from her and she felt his mood darken. She reached for him, touched his arm. 

“Memories?” His voice was hushed, and heavy. She could feel his guilt. He was blaming himself.

“Heero… It’s not your fault!” She tried to get him to look at her but his eyes remained fixed on his desk. “I… I think somehow, I summoned your memories. I wanted to know more about you…” Finally he looked at her, eyes widened. “I went to sleep wanting to know more and that’s when the first dream happened.” 

“You…?” He paused and moved away from her. He had shut her out. 

“Heero! Don’t you dare shut me out!” She walked to him and forced him to look at her. “No more of that. None! If I can’t shut you out then you can’t do it either!”

“Relena… those memories-”

“Are part of you… of who you are.” She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. “Heero, I want to know you. All of you. The good  _ and  _ the bad.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking.” He pulled away from her. “I have done things…No one would want to admit to… to remember…” He turned to her and she saw a darkness in his eyes like never before, but it wasn’t evil; it was guilt. 

“Heero… I have seen what happened to you. I know what they did… what they made you do… I know you’re a good person Heero; you’re so kind… I just wish you would allow yourself to realize it.”

“Relena-”

“Oi! Boss man! I got that package you asked me to pick up for the little lady!” Duo chimed in as he entered the room. She felt relief wash over her as Heero let down the wall. She could feel his irritation at Duo’s timing.

“Package?” Relena looked from the braided man to Heero.

“I told you I have something for you.” Heero stated. The heavy mood lingered though Duo’s interruption caused it to lighten slightly. Duo handed Heero the box and Heero handed it to her. She opened the box and looked down at a brand new smartphone. She turned her gaze to Heero, eyes wide.

“Does this mean I can…?” He nodded and she couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips. 

“Yes.” The corners of his lips turned up slightly into a small smile in response to hers. “I was wrong, Relena. I never should have cut you off from your family; your friends… I had my reasons, but… you deserved better.”

“Heero…”

“All of your family and friends’ contact information has been ported over.” He walked to her. “You may call whomever you wish with the provision that you do not say where you are or whom you are with… I think you can understand why.” She nodded. She could call anyone. Her brother and Noin had to be out of their minds with worry! Her boss! Lord only knew what he thought! And Dorothy…

“I understand!” She clutched the phone. “Can-May I call them now?” He nodded and she nearly sobbed as tears of joy pricked her eyes. “Thank you!” She kissed him and ran from the room. She had so much to tell them all… well, almost all of them. Her brother and Lucretzia, certainly and Dorothy… but her boss… he would wait until later. Right now, she needed to hear her brother’s voice! She dialed his number eagerly and listened to it ring over and over again.

“What?” He answered. She felt her heart jump with joy!

“Milli.” She took a breath. “It’s me.” A gasp came from the other line… a long pause…

“Relena… is it really you?” She nodded, though she knew he couldn’t see her. The tears began to fall.

“Yes, it’s me!” She sniffled and wiped her cheek.

“Where are you? Are you alright? Are you safe?” She nodded again, beginning to feel silly but not really caring.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine, really, I’m safe… It’s so good to hear your voice!” She took a breath. “How is Lu? Is she with you?”

“No, She’s not, but she's fine… She misses you. We both do.”

“I know.” She wiped another tear away. “I miss you too.”

“Relena… Tell me where you are. I’ll come and take you home.” She felt her breath catch in her throat. Those were words she had once longed to hear her brother say… now that he had said it, she felt her heart sink. Never before had she been so divided. She loved her brother and her sister-in-law so much… They were her only family; practically her parents… but… The thought of leaving Heero caused her pain unlike she’d ever known… She closed her eyes and tried desperately to swallow the lump in her throat.

“Milli… I can’t.” 

“Relena-”

“No… Milliardo… I miss you both so much but I can’t… I can’t tell you where I am… and I can’t tell you why.”

“I will find you, sister. I will find you and I will bring you home. I promise.”

“Milliardo-”

“Wherever you are-”

“Milli, please… stop…” The other side of the line went silent for a moment that dragged on forever.

“Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I will.” She felt the tears coming again. “I’ll call again soon… Give Lu my love.” 

“I will.”

“Goodbye...brother.”

“Bye… Relena.” As the connection ended, she felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind and leaned back into his embrace. She felt his lips kiss the top of her head and let out a soft sob.

“Thank you, Heero…” He hummed in response and she turned to him, burying her face in his chest. 

“Who will you call next?” He asked and without moving from his embrace, she smiled.

“Dorothy.” She sniffled. “I’m sure I’ll get an earful for worrying her.” A low chuckle rumbled through his chest.

“You had best call her soon then.” He pulled back and offered her a small, charming smile. “And do not worry about your boss.” he paused. “Your career has been dealt with.”

“Dealt with? What do you mean?”

“I had a long… talk with your boss about your absence. I was able to persuade him that your time off was more than necessary.” She eyed him for a moment, brow raised in curiosity. 

“Oh? And how exactly did you manage that?” He smiled again and she felt her knees go weak.

“You’re bonded to the most powerful vampire in North America… I have my ways.” She stared at him for a moment before she giggled and pulled herself closer to him.

“Thank you.” He raised a brow.

“For what?” She shook her head and stood on her tip-toes, pressing her lips to his.

“For understanding how much I needed this.” His eyes softened and he leaned his forehead to touch hers. 

“Hn.” 

“I should go. If Dorothy hears from my brother about the call first, I really will never hear the end of it.” He chuckled again and released his hold, nodding. She placed a soft, quick kiss on his lips before dashing off to call her fashionable friend. She only hoped that the older girl would not be able to force out of her all of the things she knew she shouldn’t share.


	11. Communications and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When trust is finally awarded, will Heero be rewarded? And what happens when confessions are made regarding something very important?

* * *

Thanks to the_black_rose for all of the help! Look up her HeeroxRelena Discord group, Sub Rosa where we celebrate this awesome OTP!

* * *

Ch. 10

* * *

"Dorothy Catalonia, fashionista extraordinaire, how can I help you?" The familiar, powdery voice came from the other line and Relena felt that same familiar comfort she had missed course through her. She smiled.

"That greeting really is a bit much, you know?" Relena teased. She knew Dorothy would know her voice.

"Relena?!" Dorothy responded. The relief and surprise in her friends voice brought another prickling of tears to her eyes. "Oh my god! Where have you been?! I've been trying to reach you! When they found out you were missing I went to your apartment! I thought you had been taken by someone!"

"Well I-"

"Have you called your brother? Does he know where you are?"

"Well, I-"

"I have been out of my mind with worry-"

"Dorothy!" 

"What? Oh! Sorry! I just-"

"I know, my friend." Relena sighed. "I've missed you too." Dorothy laughed on the other end of the line.

"Who said anything about missing you? You borrowed my blue cashmere sweater and I was afraid I would never see it again!" 

"Dorothy…" Relena shook her head.

"Seriously though, where have you been? Are you ok?" 

"I'm fine." She smiled but, knowing her friend, Dorothy did not believe her.

"Where are you?"

"I can't tell you."

"Were you whisked away by your secret dream-man?" Relena didn't want to lie to her friend but…

"I can't tell you anything."

"The hell you can't!" Dorothy yelled. "We have all been out of our minds with worry! I haven't done a single good photo shoot since you disappeared!" Relena rolled her eyes. Dorothy had a way of joking about things when she was truly bothered. People who didn't know her well enough mistook her sarcasm for callousness. 

"Believe me, Dorothy. There is so much I want to tell you but I'm not sure how much I can…"

"Well," Dorothy began in that voice that spelled trouble. "What if I guess and you give me a 'yes' or a 'no'?" Relena felt conflicted again. She had promised Heero she would not reveal where she was or who she was with… but surely she could tell her about being in love…?

"I suppose we could try." 

"Excellent! I love guessing games!" Again, Relena rolled her eyes. "First, does your disappearance involve a man?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Now I am positively bursting with curiosity!" She could almost hear Dorothy's hands rubbing together with glee. "Is he handsome?"

"Very."

"Have you fucked him yet?"

"Dorothy!"

"That's a 'yes'." The older girl laughed.

"Dorothy…"

"Tell me he's good?"

"He's amazing… in every sense of the word. "

"Sexy and an excellent lover? If you're telling the truth then I am almost jealous!"

"Dorothy, really!"

"Sorry, sorry… it's just… my little virginal Relena is all grown up and fucking a sexy man!"

"Dorothy!"

"Is he the man from your dreams?"

"...Yes…" 

"Oh my god! I don't know if that's sweetly poetic or extremely creepy…"

"I like to think of it as the sooner."

"Does he treat you well?"

"It's been… different… I've had a lot of changes… a lot to cope with and I've had a few times where we've been at odds but…" She paused, his gentle blue eyes flashing in her mind… "I'm happy… truly happy."

"I'm not going to say that I'm a fan of your secrecy, or that I like the circumstances, but… if you're safe… and happy… then I can be happy for you."

"Thank you, Dorothy." Relena sighed and smiled.

"Now, when can I come see you?" Relens felt her heart sink in her chest…

"You can't."

"Nonsense! What kind of control freak is he that he wouldn't allow you a day to see your friend?"

"It's not like that… not really." 

"Not really?" Dorothy scoffed. "He practically abducts you, takes you God knows where, and doesn't allow you to talk to anyone. And when he finally does allow it, he won't let you tell anyone anything significant!"

"I suppose when you put it that way it does make him sound bad, but…" She paused to consider her next words carefully. "He's really trying… to be better."

"I see…" Dorothy sighed and Relena could almost see her stroking that eyebrow… "Well, it still doesn't sound the healthiest, but it's not my place…" there was another pause. "Promise me you'll try to get him to let you out for the day? I positively must see you and show you all that has changed!"

"I doubt much has changed in a few months."

"You'll never know if you don't get out." The older blonde prompted. "Now, promise you'll try to get Mr. Perfect to let you out for the day?" Relena sighed in defeat.

"I promise."

"Excellent! Let me know when he finally caves! We women have all sorts of ways to make men sweat…" 

"I will," Relena promised, knowing the likelihood was slim.

"I hate to do this, but I have to go… I have an early shoot in the morning… I will call you as soon as I can."

"Ok, Dorothy. I'll talk to you then. "

"Ciao." As the line disconnected, Relena felt a strange mix of relief and dread. 

On the one hand, she had finally gotten to speak to both her brother and her best friend after months of no contact. On the other hand, she dreaded the idea of asking her… lover? For permission to leave after it took him this long to agree to phone calls… He would be busy with work for the next few hours; she had time to consider her approach. 

"Well, perhaps a bit of light reading, until then." 

Relena made her way to the library, mulling over the possible options she had in asking such an important question. The familiar smell of the aged paper greeted her as she made her way to the books. She browsed over the section of books she had seen Hilde and the other women pick from many times before. Duo called it the "smut section" though-upon looking-not all of the options could be classified as such. Finally, she picked up a black book with a red apple on the cover and shrugged. "Young adult fiction?" Relena stared down at the novel meant for tweens. "What could it hurt?" She sighed, took the book and went to their room to await the conversation. 

Deciding to get comfortable, she changed into her two-piece flannel pajamas and fuzzy socks before tucking herself snugly under the comforter on her side of the bed. Turning on the lamp, she opened the book. Of course, she found the story to be as cheesy as it was inaccurate. The reason behind the avoidance of the sun was weird… She shrugged. It wasn't a particularly good novel but it provided a laugh while she waited. She had always been a fast reader and was nearly halfway through with the book when she felt his presence. She glanced up from the book and offered him a warm smile. He looked tired, his eyes were heavy, shoulders slumped… his fingers went to the collar of his shirt and he began to undo the buttons…

"Heero…" She smiled. 

He paused, his eyes Landing on her… She saw something in his gaze; something she had seen many times that stirred a fire in the pit of her stomach… She stared at the exposed flesh of his muscular chest… It  _ had  _ been a few days… Relena felt herself grow hotter at the sight of him... She could feel his own desire from their bond...

"I didn't mean to interrupt your reading…" Heero continued to undo the buttons, "You can get back to your book…" She couldn't. He slid the shirt completely off while approaching the bed… She needed to ask him something… didn't she? His desire grew with every step… She momentarily forgot all else as he took her book and his lips claimed hers…

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?!” Wufei’s angry declaration echoed through his office. Heero rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had been working all night to broker a new trade deal with a big tech company in Japan. His patience had been worn thin by minor problems in the calculations that were holding back the entire process. This was not helping.

"I made my decision." Heero stated flatly. 

“You did so against the advice of your council! You gave her a cell phone and allowed her to contact outsiders.” 

“Technically, the only council member against it was you, wu-man. Well, you and Maybe Trowa. He didn't say much.” Duo quipped and leaned against the wall.

"I was neither for it, nor against it. I can see where Wufei might have a problem. However, Heero is our king." Trowa glanced at him out of the one visible eye.

“Might have a problem? You  _ should  _ have a problem! Don’t you realize how much danger this puts us all in?” 

"As Trowa said, I can see where you might be worried, wufei, but Relena is a smart girl. She knows the rules. Heero trusts her. You should too." Quatre added

"Heero trusts her?! Oh that makes me feel so much better. Letting a woman decide our fates by whether or not she can keep the proper information to herself."

"Enough, Wufei." Heero commanded in a low growl. He was tired of hearing his subordinate complain. "I gave her a chance to reassure her loved ones of her safety. That is more than our maker did for us." Wufei looked down at the rebuke. Heero had used his bond as king to emphasize his displeasure. "Relena is my bonded, and for all intents and purposes, that makes her my queen. You will show proper respect when referring to her." Wufei slowly lowered his eyes.

"Yes, my king." Heero felt Wufei back down.

"If anyone else here has a problem, feel free to address it now. I am tired." And Relena would be waiting for him…

"I have but one last concern, my lord." Wufei spoke and Heero felt his anger flare. 

"Speak quickly."

"If she  _ should  _ mistakenly reveal her location, what will be our course of action?"

"We will not have to worry. Dorothy knows where Relena is. She is still on retainer.’” Heero powered down his computer. “As for her brother, she already had the chance and did not divulge her location." The pain and conflict he had felt from her in that moment haunted him… "Dorothy knows her place and won't test us by asking too much." Heero paused and remembered briefly how the ward she'd enacted to protect Relena all those years had also kept him out… "And she will not tell her brother. She proved that just now."

"Of course." Wufei grudgingly bowed again. Though a bit opinionated and headstrong, Wufei was a strong ally and friend nearly as old as himself. He knew too well the dangers of trust and Heero had always found Wufei's caution reassuring. 

"Good." Heero grabbed his suit jacket off the chair and walked to the door. "I am going to bed. I do not wish for us to be disturbed for anything short of an emergency."

Heero could still feel the uneasiness of his advisers. He understood their concern. He knew how great the risk was… but she had been so unhappy… He had wanted to do something for her; something to make up for the secrecy… The look of sheer joy in her eyes when he'd given her the phone… it had made his stomach… flutter… and warmed him… He smiled and made his way down the hall and up the stairs to the room where he found Relena perched on her side of their bed; legs pulled up, lamp on, as she read one of the many books from the library. The way the lamplight played on her features, shining off her dark blonde hair… The sight of her women both of his carnal hungers… He wanted to rip the blankets off of her and…

"Heero." Her lips curved into a beautiful smile and her eyes shined. He smirked. 

"I didn't mean to interrupt your reading." He kicked off his shoes and undid the first few buttons of his shirt, an action that caught her attention… His smirk widened. "You can get back to your book…" Her aqua eyes focused on his chest… He continued to unbutton his shirt, taking it off his shoulders. Her eyes glazed over with desire… He could feel it in her thoughts, building and mixing with his own...

He walked to the bed and grabbed her book; took it from her and laid it on the nightstand before he seized her lips with his. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands finding their way to massage her breasts through the flannel material of her nightshirt. She moaned; one hand rising to rest behind his neck, the other playing with the top of his pants. He groaned into her lips and pulled away, grabbed her night shirt and nearly tore the buttons off as he pulled it over her head. As her creamy mounds came into view, he licked his lips and leaned down, licking the nipple of each supple breast before kissing up to her neck…

"Heero…" She moaned and he smiled into her neck as he licked and sucked the area above her jugular… "Heero… I...uhn… " She moaned again as he climbed over her and grasped her breasts once more in his large hands. "H-Heero… I need to talk to you…"

"It can wait." He growled into her skin before raking his fangs across her delicate flesh…

"Heero-" He sank his teeth in and her protests ceased as her arms went up under his arms and her hands grasped his shoulder blades. The sweet, tangy liquid went down his throat and he began to be lost in the euphoria of her taste… He pulled back long enough to stare into her eyes the look of the blood as it trailed down her pale skin to her breasts was nearly too much. He delved back in for another taste. 

"Heero… please…" She moaned and he felt her need. Being fed off of could be very arousing to the partner of the vampire and he was well aware of what he was doing to her. He smirked and retracted his teeth, giving the wound an affectionate lick to heal and soothe. He kissed down her neck, taking time to lavish equal attention on each breast before kissing down her abdomen. Her moans and sighs of pleasure urged him on. 

He growled as he reached the hem of the top of her pajama pants… The urge to tear them rose but he tugged them instead and she lifted her rear and legs, allowing him to easily rid her of that barrier. His fingers found her most center under her soaked panties. He flicked her sensitive nub with his thumb while his middle and pointer fingers entered her, preparing her for him… An eventual third digit sent her head back on the pillow and he glanced up to see she had bitten her lip. 

He began to pump his fingers into her, his tongue replacing his thumb as he continued to massage her bundle of nerves. His other hand continued to pinch and kneed her breast… 

As he felt her walls quiver he knew she was close. She was panting, squirming… Her hands fisted in his hair as he gently used his teeth to add pressure to her clit… She screamed his name as her orgasm tore through her… He licked up all of her juices before sliding back up to claim her mouth with his. His erection pressed painfully against the confines of his pants and he groaned as he felt her hands fumble with the button. She undid them and he slid them down, taking his boxers with them his erection sprung free at full attention ready for her. As much as he wanted her warm center there was another target he had in mind. He stood above her and positioned himself in front of her, resting the tip at her lips. 

"Relena…" He moaned out.

Knowing what he needed, she licked the tip before bringing her hands up to massage his length and his sacs while sucking the tip. He groaned and his head lulled back as he gently grabbed the sides of her head. She took him in as far as she could and began to move. The sight of her golden head bobbing back and forth on his engorged member was too erotic. 

"Yes..." He hissed out and he began to thrust his hips in time with her, careful not to go too fast or too hard… He wanted this to last… wanted to feel the bumps on her tongue… The texture of her teeth as he filled her orally… Finally, he felt his desperation build… His sacs tightening, his shaft throbbing...His release so close...

'Do it.' That one permissive command through their mental link was all it took. With one last trust, he erupted into her mouth and down her throat… It was so erotic…so… intimate… She drank as much as she could and he smiled with sheer pride as he pulled himself out of her mouth… He leaned down and captured her lips, before resting his forehead on hers… in spite of his completion, his erection still throbbed. He hadn't had enough. She laughed, low and seductively and kissed him…

"Heero…?" The seductive tone continued and through their link he could feel her need for him to fill her… He nodded, kissed her again and lowered himself to align his shaft with her entrance. Looking into her eyes, he gave a long, hard thrust and groaned as he felt her velvet walls part and grip him like a slippery vice. He took a moment to allow himself to just feel her. Centuries of being alone, of needing no one and nothing but the carnal thirst for blood… all of that was lost, replaced by his need for her. 

Her arms locked around his neck and he began to thrust, slow, long, and deep, his eyes on hers as they closed in sheer ecstacy just to open again. 

"Deeper." She urged. He willingly obliged.

He grabbed her legs and hoisted both of them over his shoulders allowing for deeper penetration. Her groans of pleasure and fulfillment was a sweet song he knew he would never tire of hearing as his pace began to quicken. His thrusts, just as deep, became more desperate as he felt his release building inside him. He was determined that they would finish together. He leaned in and kissed her, thrusting again and again, deeper and deeper, faster and faster as she panted his name over and over…. Finally…

"Heeeerooo!" She screamed and he felt it… Her walls clenched, muscles tensed as she cried out, milking him as he blasted his release into her waiting channel and cried out her name as well. The sounds of their labored breathing echoed through the room as he collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her shoulder. 

Her hands massaged the muscles of his back as he laid there… This… this was all he needed… All his years of suffering...all of his crimes, his trials… In her arms, none of them seemed to matter… It both scared him and filled him with something he'd never felt before: true contentment. He knew he didn't deserve her; that this happiness was something a monster like him should never know… but… 

He felt her hands in his hair…

"Don't think like that…" Her voice was soft, and sad… 

"Relena?" He looked up into her eyes.

"You're not a monster. And you do deserve this… We both do…" She had heard his thoughts... He had left his mind completely unguarded to her… 

"Relena…" She kissed him and he felt all that she was feeling: fulfillment, lingering desire… love…? She loved him? He thought he'd imagined it, but it was there; strong and warm and pulling him in… It had been so long since anyone had loved him… His parents being the earliest and only form of the word he knew...and he realized… he realized that he… 

'You love me?' he asked through their mental link. She paused and broke the kiss, eyes wide. She looked down, face red, eyes closed.

"Relena…" He spoke out loud this time. He needed to hear… wanted to… "Do you… love me?" She wouldn't meet his eyes… 

"Yes…" came her timid reply. Heero felt something inside him change… His stomach leapt… His heart, usually cold, suddenly felt warm again. "I… I love you…"

"Relena…"

"I figured it out weeks ago… but I… I think I've been in love with you... all of my life." She paused and finally looked at him. "I didn't know how to tell you.. or even if I should…" Her eyes went to his shoulder. Realization dawned on him.

"That's what you were hiding from me? That day when you let me feed…?" She nodded.

"I was afraid… afraid you didn't feel the same… I didn't want you to-" He cut her off as his lips found hers. He kissed her deeply, opening the link to their connection to allow her see.. to feel... everything he felt… for her… and about everything… He felt her arms wrap around his neck as tears slid down her cheeks. When they broke the kiss, she nuzzled his neck and he felt her warm tears on his throat.

"Relena… I..." 

"I know..." She smiled and kissed him again. He loved her. He knew it now and so did she. He stroked her long hair as he pulled her closer. "Heero." She sobbed, this time with tears of joy. He felt her happiness through their connection give him a warmth he hadn't felt since he was human… her love for him returned his sense of humanity… He smiled and held her closer.


End file.
